Philippines to United States visa requirements

Visa required. Philippine ordinary passport holders need a U.S. visitor visa for tourism or short business visits; the Philippines is not in the Visa Waiver Program. Philippine ordinary passport holders need a visa before travelling to the United States for tourism, family visits, medical treatment, or short business activities. The Philippines is not listed as a Visa Waiver Program country, so ESTA is not available for Philippine citizens using Philippine passports. The usual category is B-1/B-2, with a USD 185 non-refundable MRV application fee. State's reciprocity table lists Philippine B-1, B-2, and B-1/B-2 visas with no issuance fee, multiple entries, and 120 months of validity. A visa lets the traveller request admission at a U.S. port of entry; CBP decides admission and records the actual authorized stay on the admission stamp or I-94. Philippine passports are on CBP's December 18, 2025 six-month-club update, so the passport needs to be valid for the intended period of stay rather than six months beyond it, although renewing early can still prevent airline or itinerary issues. Manila appointment availability is dynamic; on the State global wait-time table checked on 2026-06-20, Manila showed B1/B2 interview-required next available appointment under 0.5 month. Interview waivers are narrower than older 48-month guidance: under the September 18, 2025 State update, full-validity B-1/B-2 renewals may qualify only within 12 months of prior visa expiration and only if the other criteria are met.