Visa & ESTA.Plan your travel.

International families are responsible for obtaining the appropriate passport, visa, or travel authorization and paying associated costs. Allow time for appointments and processing before making non-refundable travel arrangements.

Check your passport’s validity. U.S. guidance generally requires validity for six months beyond your planned stay, with exceptions under country-specific agreements. Confirm the requirements that apply to you with the U.S. embassy or consulate.

Because AIRES is a short-term, non-credit educational program lasting fewer than four weeks, participants generally enter the United States on a B-1/B-2 Visitor Visa rather than on a student visa. This is standard practice for summer enrichment programs of this type. AIRES does not issue Form I-20 for an F-1 student visa.

AIRES provides a participant support letter for visa application. Contact Admissions to arrange your copy. The letter documents program participation; it is not a visa or a guarantee of approval or entry.

Support letters are for enrolled students, not accompanying family members. Parents and guardians must arrange their own travel documentation. Carry a printed copy of the student’s AIRES letter with their travel documents when issued.

Eligible travelers may use the Visa Waiver Program for permitted visits of up to 90 days. An approved ESTA is required before travel; eligibility depends on more than citizenship alone. ESTA is not a visa and does not guarantee admission at the border.

Review the official eligibility criteria, apply through the U.S. government’s ESTA website, and check your authorization before departure. An AIRES support letter is not a standard ESTA application requirement.