22 C.F.R. Subpart A—Passport and Visas Not Required for Certain Nonimmigrants
Title 22 - Foreign Relations
Nonimmigrants in the following categories are exempt from the passport and visa requirements of INA 212(a)(7)(B)(i)(I), (i)(II): (a) Alien members of the U.S. Armed Forces. An alien member of the U.S. Armed Forces in uniform or bearing proper military identification, who has not been lawfully admitted for permanent residence, coming to the United States under official orders or permit of such Armed Forces (Sec. 284, 86 Stat. 232; 8 U.S.C. 1354). (b) American Indians born in Canada. An American Indian born in Canada, having at least 50 per centum of blood of the American Indian race (Sec. 289, 66 Stat. 234; 8 U.S.C. 1359.) (c) Aliens entering from Guam, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands. An alien departing from Guam, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands of the United States, and seeking to enter the continental United States or any other place under the jurisdiction of the United States (Sec. 212, 66 Stat. 188; 8 U.S.C. 1182.) (d) Armed Services personnel of a NATO member. Personnel belonging to the armed services of a government which is a Party to the North Atlantic Treaty and which has ratified the Agreement Between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty Regarding the Status of Their Forces, signed at London on June 19, 1951, and entering the United States under Article III of that Agreement pursuant to an individual or collective movement order issued by an appropriate agency of the sending state or of NATO (TIAS 2846; 4 U.S.T. 1792.) (e) Armed Services personnel attached to a NATO headquarters in the United States. Personnel attached to a NATO Headquarters in the United States set up pursuant to the North Atlantic Treaty, belonging to the armed services of a government which is a Party to the Treaty and entering the United States in connection with their official duties under the provisions of the Protocol on the Status of International Military Headquarters Set Up Pursuant to the North Atlantic Treaty (TIAS 2978; 5 U.S.T. 875.) (f) Aliens entering pursuant to International Boundary and Water Commission Treaty. All personnel employed either directly or indirectly on the construction, operation, or maintenance of works in the United States undertaken in accordance with the treaty concluded on February 3, 1944, between the United States and Mexico regarding the functions of the International Boundary and Water Commission, and entering the United States temporarily in connection with such employment (59 Stat. 1252; TS 994.) [52 FR 42597, Nov. 5, 1987, as amended at 56 FR 30428, July 2, 1991; 61 FR 1835, Jan. 24, 1996] Pursuant to the authority of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security under INA 212(d)(4), the passport and/or visa requirements of INA 212(a)(7)(B)(i)(I), (i)(II) are waived as specified below for the following categories of nonimmigrants: (a) Canadian nationals. A passport is not required except after a visit outside the Western Hemisphere. A visa is not required. (b) Citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. A passport is not required except after a visit outside the Western Hemisphere. A visa is not required. (c) Bahamian nationals and British subjects resident in the Bahamas. A passport is required. A visa is not required if, prior to the embarkation of such an alien for the United States on a vessel or aircraft, the examining U.S. immigration officer at Freeport or Nassau determines that the individual is clearly and beyond a doubt entitled to admission. (d) British subjects resident in the Cayman Islands or in the Turks and Caicos Islands. A passport is required. A visa is not required if the alien arrives directly from the Cayman Islands or the Turks and Caicos Islands and presents a current certificate from the Clerk of Court of the Cayman Islands or the Turks and Caicos Islands indicating no criminal record. (e) British, French, and Netherlands nationals and nationals of certain adjacent islands of the Caribbean which are independent countries. A passport is required. A visa is not required of a British, French or Netherlands national, or of a national of Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, or Trinidad and Tobago, who has residence in British, French, or Netherlands territory located in the adjacent islands of the Caribbean area, or has residence in Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, or Trinidad and Tobago, if the alien: (1) Is proceeding to the United States as an agricultural worker; or (2) Is the beneficiary of a valid, unexpired, indefinite certification granted by the Department of Labor for employment in the Virgin Islands of the United States and is proceeding thereto for employment, or is the spouse or child of such an alien accompanying or following to join the alien. (f) Nationals and residents of the British Virgin Islands. (1) A national of the British Virgin Islands and resident therein requires a passport but not a visa if proceeding to the United States Virgin Islands. (2) A national of the British Virgin Islands and resident therein requires a passport but does not require a visa to apply for entry into the United States if such applicant: (i) Is proceeding by aircraft directly from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; (ii) Is traveling to some other part of the United States solely for the purpose of business or pleasure as described in INA 101(a)(15)(B); (iii) Satisfies the examining U.S. Immigration officer at that port of entry that he or she is admissible in all respects other than the absence of a visa; and (iv) Presents a current Certificate of Good Conduct issued by the Royal Virgin Islands Police Department indicating that he or she has no criminal record. (g) Mexican nationals. (1) A visa and a passport are not required of a Mexican national in possession of a border crossing identification card and applying for admission as a temporary visitor for business or pleasure from contiguous territory. (2) A visa is not required of a Mexican national possessing a border crossing identification card and applying for admission to the United States as a temporary visitor for business or pleasure or in transit from noncontiguous territory. (3) A visa and a passport are not required of a Mexican national who is entering solely for the purpose of applying for a Mexican passport or other official Mexican document at a Mexican consular office on the United States side of the border. (4) A passport is not required of a Mexican national who is applying for a B–1/B–2 Visa/BCC and who meets the conditions for waiver of the passport requirement in section 41.32(a)(2)(iii). (5) A visa is not required of a Mexican national employed as a crew member on an aircraft belonging to a Mexican company authorized to engage in commercial transportation into the United States. (6) A visa is not required of a Mexican national bearing a Mexican diplomatic or official passport who is a military or civilian official of the Federal Government of Mexico entering the United States for a stay of up to 6 months for any purpose other than on assignment as a permanent employee to an office of the Mexican Federal Government in the United States. A visa is also not required of the official's spouse or any of the official's dependent family members under 19 years of age who hold diplomatic or official passports and are in the actual company of the official at the time of entry. This waiver does not apply to the spouse or any of the official's family members classifiable under INA 101(a)(15) (F) or (M). (h) Natives and residents of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. A visa and a passport are not required of a native and resident of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands who has proceeded in direct and continuous transit from the Trust Territory to the United States. (i) [Reserved] (j) Except as provided in paragraphs (a) through (i) and (k) through (m) of this section, all aliens are required to present a valid, unexpired visa and passport upon arrival in the United States. An alien may apply for a waiver of the visa and passport requirement if, either prior to the alien's embarkation abroad or upon arrival at a port of entry, the responsible district director of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in charge of the port of entry concludes that the alien is unable to present the required documents because of an unforeseen emergency. The DHS district director may grant a waiver of the visa or passport requirement pursuant to INA 212(d)(4)(A), without the prior concurrence of the Department of State, if the district director concludes that the alien's claim of emergency circumstances is legitimate and that approval of the waiver would be appropriate under all of the attendant facts and circumstances. (k) Fiance(e) of a U.S. citizen. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (a) through (h) of this section, a visa is required of an alien described in such paragraphs who is classified, or who seeks classification, under INA 101(a)(15)(K). (l) Visa waiver program. (1) A visa is not required of any person who seeks admission to the United States for a period of 90 days or less as a visitor for business or pleasure and who is eligible to apply for admission to the United States as a Visa Waiver Program applicant. (For the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to apply for admission to the United States as Visa Waiver Program applicants, see 8 CFR 217.2(a)). (2) An alien denied admission under the Visa Waiver Program by virtue of a ground of inadmissibility described in INA section 212(a) that is discovered at the time of the alien's application for admission at a port of entry or through use of an automated electronic database may apply for a visa as the only means of challenging such a determination. A consular officer must accept and adjudicate any such application if the alien otherwise fulfills all of the application requirements contained in Part 41, §41.2(l)(1). (m) Treaty Trader and Treaty Investor. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section, a visa is required of a Canadian national who is classified, or who seeks classification, under INA 101(a)(15)(E). [52 FR 42597, Nov. 5, 1987, as amended at 53 FR 53375, Dec. 30, 1988; 56 FR 30428, July 2, 1991; 58 FR 43439, Aug. 16, 1993; 59 FR 1473, Jan. 11, 1994; 63 FR 16893, Apr. 7, 1998; 64 FR 7999, Feb. 18, 1999; 64 FR 28916, May 28, 1999; 66 FR 1034, Jan. 5, 2001; 66 FR 32541, June 15, 2001; 67 FR 30547, May 7, 2002; 67 FR 50349, Aug. 2, 2002; 68 FR 5195, Jan. 31, 2003; 68 FR 46949, Aug. 7, 2003] Under the authority of INA 212(d)(4), the documentary requirements of INA 212(a)(7)(B)(i)(I), (i)(II) may be waived for any alien in whose case the consular officer serving the port or place of embarkation is satisfied after consultation with, and concurrence by, the appropriate immigration officer, that the case falls within any of the following categories: (a) Residents of foreign contiguous territory; visa and passport waiver. An alien residing in foreign contiguous territory who does not qualify for any waiver provided in §41.1 and is a member of a visiting group or excursion proceeding to the United States under circumstances which make it impractical to procure a passport and visa in a timely manner. (b) Aliens for whom passport extension facilities are unavailable; passport waiver. As alien whose passport is not valid for the period prescribed in INA 212(a)(7)(B)(i)(I) and who is embarking for the United States at a port or place remote from any establishment at which the passport could be revalidated. (c) Aliens precluded from obtaining passport extensions by foreign government restrictions; passport waiver. An alien whose passport is not valid for the period prescribed in INA 212(a)(7)(B)(i)(I) and whose government, as a matter of policy, does not revalidate passports more than 6 months prior to expiration or until the passport expires. (d) Emergent circumstances; visa waiver. An alien well and favorably known at the consular office, who was previously issued a nonimmigrant visa which has expired, and who is proceeding directly to the United States under emergent circumstances which preclude the timely issuance of a visa. (e) Members of armed forces of foreign countries; visa and passport waiver. An alien on active duty in the armed forces of a foreign country and a member of a group of such armed forces traveling to the United States, on behalf of the alien's government or the United Nations, under advance arrangements made with the appropriate military authorities of the United States. The waiver does not apply to a citizen or resident of Cuba, Mongolia, North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), Vietnam (Socialist Republic of Vietnam), or the People's Republic of China. (f) Landed immigrants in Canada; passport waiver. An alien applying for a visa at a consular office in Canada: (1) Who is a landed immigrant in Canada; (2) Whose port and date of expected arrival in the United States are known; and (3) Who is proceeding to the United States under emergent circumstances which preclude the timely procurement of a passport or Canadian certificate of identity. (g) Authorization to individual consular office; visa and/or passport waiver. An alien within the district of a consular office which has been authorized by the Department, because of unusual circumstances prevailing in that district, to join with immigration officers abroad in waivers of documentary requirements in specific categories of cases, and whose case falls within one of those categories. [52 FR 42597, Nov. 5, 1987, as amended at 56 FR 30428, July 2, 1991; 60 FR 30188, June 8, 1995; 61 FR 1835, Jan. 24, 1996; 63 FR 48577, Sept. 11, 1998]
Title 22: Foreign Relations
PART 41—VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF NONIMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED
Subpart A—Passport and Visas Not Required for Certain Nonimmigrants
§ 41.1 Exemption by law or treaty from passport and visa requirements.
§ 41.2 Waiver by Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security of passport and/or visa requirements for certain categories of nonimmigrants.
§ 41.3 Waiver by joint action of consular and immigration officers of passport and/or visa requirements.
