Do you need a US transit visa if you won't be entering the US?

Question

I have a flight to Canada with a stopover in Detroit. There's about a three-hour wait in between flights, but I won't be leaving the airport. Do I need a transit visa for this? I have a Philippine passport. Thanks.

Answer 1

Yes.

The Department of Homeland Security suspended the TWOV (Transit Without Visa) and ITI (International to International) transit programs back in 2003:

http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/press_...

ITI was the program that allowed international transit passengers to wait in special transit lounges at the airport without passing through immigration.

For current transit information, see pages 11 and 12 of the following document from the US immigration services:

http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocumen...

You will need to obtain a C-1 non-immigrant transit visa.  You can find more information about how to apply at the website of the US embassy in the Philippines:

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhnv11.htm...

Answer 2

no, you will not need a transit visa,you will be awaiting within a room for people who only transit trough the US while awaiting another flight, you may go to this page and try :

http://www.skyteam.com/EN/travelPlanner/...