Stopover USA

Even if your main destination is not the United States of America, a short transit stay of a few minutes, a few hours or longer defacto means entry into the USA. Therefore, you need to make sure that you comply with US immigration regulations and that, in the absence of careful preparation, you are not denied onward travel and, in the worst case, have to make your return trip at the US transit counter.

Basically, all individuals who do not have a US passport need either aVisa or a valid ESTA entry permit for entry into the USA, even for transits of a few minutes or hours. The following residence permits can be considered in principle:

Esta

ESTA (under the Visa Waiver Program, VWP) is available for most Europeans and many other nationalities. For this, the traveler only needs to be in possession of a current ESTA authorization. This ESTA authorization can be obtained online in a few minutes.

Attention: ESTA no longer valid after travel to the following countries: Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Syria. Individuals who actually qualify for ESTA (e.g., German, Austrian, or Swiss citizens), but who have traveled to the above countries since March 1, 2011, are excluded from the ESTA process. Inevitably, these individuals must apply for a US visa, even if they are in transit for less than one hour.

C visa

If you are from or have a passport from a country that is not approved for ESTA (e.g. Turkey or Ukraine), or you cannot get an ESTA entry permit for any other reason, you will definitely need a US visa. The appropriate Visa for transitis the so-called C visa. You must apply for a visa and attend an interview at the U.S. consulate in your home country. Ship passengers traveling by ship to a non-U.S. destination and whose ship calls at a U.S. port without docking there also require a transit visa, often issued as a combination C-1/D visa (for crew members). We advise to apply in time, i.e. at least four to six weeks before the planned trip.

The following requirements must be met:

• It is an immediate or continuing transit through the United States.
• You must be in possession of a regular ticket or proof of destination.
• They have sufficient financial resources for the transit journey.
• You have permission to enter another country after leaving the United States.

B-1 / B-2 visa

Persons who are excluded from the ESTA process and are traveling to the US for transit purposes, but who intend to travel to the US in the future, have the option of obtaining a C visa instead of the

• B-1 (Business Visa),
• B-2 (Tourist visa)or
• the CombinationB-1 / B-2

to apply for a visa. If approved, you would have the authority to travel to the US for transit, business and tourism purposes for the duration of the visa. In this respect, we would advise our clients to apply for the B-1 / B-2 variant, because it is more extensive than the C visa. By the way, the fee is identical, i.e. no matter whether C-1, B-1, B-2 or B-1 / B-2, the consular fee is always the same. You can find the current visa fees on our Cost side.

The B visa is also usually applied for during a personal interview at one of the responsible US consulates. Plan on about four to six weeks lead time.

Holder of a work visa (e.g. E, L or H)

People who, for example, have a E-, L- or H visa are allowed to enter the United States for work purposes. However, if you are planning to transit the US for purely personal reasons, such as to vacation in Mexico, you will need either a valid ESTA entry permit, a C visa or B visa.

In practice, travelers with a work visa have often not been turned away in the case of pure transit or transit through the country. However, there are also border officials who are very strict and in the worst case do not recognize the transit by work visa.

Tip: Work visa holders should play it safe and apply for ESTA or a suitable US visa.