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Can a Russian citizen who lives in Sweden and has a Swedish residence permit (temporary for 2 years) apply for an ESTA?

We are going to visit an exhibition for work purposes, but I'm not sure that it's applicable for Russian citizens even with European residence and work permit.

Maybe are there other programs or ways for getting a visa or permit to visit the USA? Not only ESTA?

Traveller
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Ilya Terentev
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1 Answers1

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The basic eligibility for the Visa Waiver Program (which is the actual program you travel on when you use an ESTA) is based on citizenship, not residency.

So, no, as Russian citizens, you are not eligible for the VWP, even if you reside in Sweden.

You need to apply for a visa from the US embassy in Sweden, most like a B-1/B-2 visa.

Note that the current wait time in Stockholm for the appointment stands at 50 calendar days. There are then 2-3 more weeks after that to get the visa.

So it takes about 2 to 3 months to get a visa.

Whether the visa will be granted given the current situation and your specific circumstances is another matter, I have no idea whether this would be easy or not, and it would be the subject for another question.

jcaron
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