GB Visa for Visitors to Guam

The GB visa is a visa allowed visitors to enter and stay in Guam or the Commonwealth Northern Marianas Islands (CMNI). However, the GB visa now no longer exists; as of November, 2009, people visiting Guam must follow the same requirements as they would to any other U.S. destination.

Former GB Visa Requirements

In October 1988, the U.S. federal government implemented the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. The GB visa requirements were narrowly tailored. The waiver program allowed citizens of more than a dozen countries permission to enter Guam without a visa for a period of up to 15 days if the purpose of the visit was temporary travel or business. Travel from Guam to other U.S. destinations was not allowed and visitors were required to arrive on an approved signatory airline or ship. In November, 2009, the time of the visit was extended from 15 to 45 days.

To be admissible under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, prior to getting on a plane or ship for travel to Guam or the CNMI, each nonimmigrant alien had to state or show that they:

• were a national of a country on the approved Visa Waiver list
• intended to be a visitor for business or pleasure
• had not violated the terms of any prior admissions
• had a nonrefundable return ticket for a period of time no longer than the allowed admission, and
• waived any right to review or appeal an immigration officer's determination of admissibility at the port of entry into Guam or the CNMI.

GB Visa Fees and Costs

GB visa fees and costs included the cost of a passport which varies from country to country and the cost of the visa application, which varied depending on the purpose of the visit.

GB Visa Documents Needed

Now that the requirements for visiting Guam are the same as for visiting any other U.S. destination, many temporary visitors will meet the requirements for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). This is a program initiated in 1986 to promote tourism to the United States and to ease the burden on the Department of State.

The VWP allows citizens of specific countries to travel to Guam and to stay for no more than 45 days without obtaining a visa. The only documents you need are:

• a current passport
• identification, and
• return ticket.

For more information on the VWP, see "Visa Waiver Program."

Help From an Immigration Lawyer

The GB visa no longer exists, but if you want to visit Guam on a temporary basis and you come from a country which participates in the VWP, you shouldn’t need a lawyer’s help. If, however, you want to go to Guam for more than 90 days to study or to work, or if you come from a country that is not on the approved visa waiver list, then immigration lawyer can help you decide which visa is most appropriate for your situation and help you through the application process.