Citizens of countries in the US Visa Waiver Programme who have visited Libya, Somalia or Sudan since March 2011 may no longer be entitled to enter the United States without a full visa, according to guidance from the US Department of State.
The restriction flows directly from the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, a law that remains firmly in force in 2026. Under the standard Visa Waiver Programme, eligible nationals from participating countries can travel to the US for tourism or business for up to 90 days using an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) — a faster, cheaper route than a conventional visa application. Past travel to certain countries strips that entitlement away entirely.
The three African nations on the disqualification list are Libya, Somalia and Sudan. Any national of a VWP-participating country who was present in any of these three countries on or after 1 March 2011 is now required to apply for a standard B-category visitor visa at a US embassy or consulate before travelling to the United States. The ESTA route is closed to them.
Who Is Exempt — and What Affected Travellers Can Do
The law does carve out narrow exceptions for travel undertaken in an official diplomatic or military capacity on behalf of a VWP-participating country. Beyond those limited circumstances, the disqualification stands regardless of why the traveller visited the listed nations — whether for family, work, humanitarian or any other reason.
Travellers who think they may be affected are strongly advised to review their eligibility before submitting an ESTA application. Submitting an ESTA application while disqualified can create complications that complicate future travel. Those who no longer qualify under the VWP can still visit the United States by applying through the standard B-visa route, and the State Department notes that even travellers who remain VWP-eligible are free to choose the full visa process if they prefer it.
The three African countries sit alongside five others on the complete disqualification list: Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria and Yemen. In total, past travel to any of these eight countries after the March 2011 threshold date triggers the loss of VWP eligibility for nationals of programme-participating nations.