Embassy of the United States

Non-Immigrant Visas

Do I need a visa?

Do I need a visa to travel to the US ?

There are 27 countries, including France, authorized to participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Click on Visa Waiver Program for a list of countries.

I. If you are traveling on a passport issued by a VWP country, and

• If you hold an electronic passport,
  Or
• A Machine Readable passport issued before October 26, 2005

you are eligible to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), for tourism or business for up to 90 days with a round trip ticket.

Please refer to this chart for more information about qualifying passports.

The term "business" in this context refers to negotiating contracts, meeting clients, participating in seminars, attending expositions, and taking customer orders. It does not include accepting employment in the US.

If you are travelling on the VWP, you will not be able to change your visa status in the United States, nor will you be able to extend your stay beyond the 90-day limit. In general, one cannot study or work without a visa.

Diplomats (and other government officials) traveling on official business and representatives of foreign press, radio, film or other information media, require a visa.

• If you are a citizen of a country that does not participate in the VWP, you must apply for a visa. Click on How to apply on the left for more information.

II. If you are not eligible to use the VWP, please refer to the section "How to apply " or call our live operator service to discuss your case.

“Indefinite” validity visa are no longer valid for travel. 

The last U.S. visas which were marked with an “indefinite” validity were issued on March 31, 1994.  The State Department has since specified that all visitor visas, including those with an “indefinite” are limited to a 10 year maximum validity.  Therefore, as of March 31, 2004 all former “indefinite” visas have expired. 

To transit through the US ?

If you have an urgent need to travel, you must advise the call center in order to get a timely appointment.

Travelers in transit through the United States require visas unless they are eligible to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program.

If travelers are not eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program, it is the policy of the Consulate to issue B1/B2 (business/tourism) visas to those transiting the United States.

To qualify for B1/B2 visas, you need to overcome the consular officer's presumption that you are an intending immigrant as outlined in section 214 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). You can overcome this presumption by providing evident that you have strong, binding ties to your home country, (in this case, France) and that you have no intention of abandoning your residence abroad.