CITY

Las Vegas

STATE

Nevada

COUNTRY

United States of America

CONTINENT

North America

LANGUAGE

English

CURRENCY

US Dollars

BEST TIME TO VISIT

March to May and from September to November

NEAREST AIRPORT

McCarran International Airport (LAS)

EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER

911

INTERNET ACCESS

Getting on the internet without having to pay for it isn’t all that easy sometimes in Las Vegas! But don’t fret. There are plenty of FREE wi-fi hotspots available, if you just know where they are. There are several hotspot locations here that offer free WiFi wireless Internet connections to the general public like Apple Stores among others.

VISA

Visitors from Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and many EU countries don’t need visas for stays of less than 90 days. Citizens of other nations should check http://travel.state.gov.

Entering the USA

Everyone arriving in the US needs to fill out the US customs declaration. US and Canadian citizens, along with eligible foreign nationals participating in the Visa Waiver Program, can complete this procedure electronically at an APC (Automated Passport Control) kiosk upon disembarking. All others must fill out a paper customs declaration, which is usually handed out on the plane. Have it completed before you approach the immigration desk. For the question, ‘US Street Address,’ give the address where you will spend the first night (a hotel address is fine).

No matter what your visa says, US immigration officers have an absolute authority to refuse admission to the country, or to impose conditions on admission. They may ask about your plans and whether you have sufficient funds; it’s a good idea to list an itinerary, produce an onward or round-trip ticket and have at least one major credit card.

The Department of Homeland Security’s registration program, called Office of Biometric Identity Management, includes every port of entry and nearly every foreign visitor to the USA. For most visitors (excluding, for now, most Canadian and some Mexican citizens), registration consists of having a digital photo and electronic (inkless) fingerprints taken; the process takes less than a minute.

Grounds for Exclusion & Deportation

If on your visa application form you admit to being a subversive, smuggler, prostitute, drug addict, terrorist or an ex-Nazi, you may be excluded. You can also be refused a visa or entry to the USA if you have a ‘communicable disease of public health significance’ or a criminal record, or if you’ve ever made a false statement in connection with a US visa application. However, if any of these last three apply, you’re still able to request an exemption; many people are granted them and then given visas.

Communicable diseases include tuberculosis, the Ebola virus, gonorrhea, syphilis, infectious leprosy and any disease deemed subject to quarantine by Presidential Executive Order. US immigration doesn’t test people for disease, but officials at the point of entry may question anyone about his or her health. They can exclude anyone whom they believe has a communicable disease, perhaps because they are carrying medical documents, prescriptions or medicine. Being an IV drug user is also grounds for exclusion. Visitors may be deported if US immigration finds out they have HIV but did not declare it. Being HIV-positive is no longer grounds for deportation, but failing to provide accurate information on the visa application is.

The US immigration department has a very broad definition of a criminal record. If you’ve ever been arrested or charged with an offense, that’s a criminal record, even if you were acquitted or discharged without conviction. Don’t attempt to enter through the VWP if you have a criminal record of any kind; assume US authorities will find out about it.

Often United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will grant an exemption (a ‘waiver of ineligibility’) to a person who would normally be subject to exclusion, but this requires referral to a regional immigration office and can take some time (allow at least two months). If you’re tempted to conceal something, remember that US immigration is strictest of all about false statements. It will often view favorably an applicant who admits to an old criminal charge or a communicable disease, but it is extremely harsh on anyone who has ever attempted to mislead it, even on minor points. After you’re admitted to the USA, any evidence of a false statement to US immigration is grounds for deportation.

Prospective visitors to whom grounds of exclusion may apply should consider their options before applying for a visa.

More Information

Be warned that all visa information is highly subject to change. US entry requirements keep evolving as national security regulations change. All travelers should double-check current visa and passport regulations before coming to the USA.

The US State Department (www.travel.state.gov) maintains the most comprehensive visa information, providing downloadable forms, lists of US consulates abroad and even visa wait times calculated by country.

Short-term Departures & Re-entry

It’s temptingly easy to make trips across the border to Canada or Mexico, but on return to the USA, non-Americans will be subject to the full immigration procedure.

Always take your passport when you cross the border.

If your immigration card still has plenty of time on it, you will probably be able to re-enter using the same one, but if it has nearly expired, you will have to apply for a new card, and border control may want to see your onward air ticket, sufficient funds and so on.

Traditionally, a quick trip across the border has been a way to extend your stay in the USA without applying for an extension at a USCIS office. Don’t assume this still works. First, make sure you hand in your old immigration card to the immigration authorities when you leave the USA, and when you return make sure you have all the necessary application documentation from when you first entered the country. US immigration will be very suspicious of anyone who leaves for a few days and returns immediately hoping for a new six-month stay; expect to be questioned closely.

Citizens of most Western countries will not need a visa to visit Canada, so it’s really not a problem at all to cross to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, detour up to Québec, or pass through on the way to Alaska.

Travelers entering the USA by bus from Canada may be closely scrutinized. A round-trip ticket that takes you back to Canada will most likely make US immigration feel less suspicious.

Mexico has a visa-free zone along most of its border with the USA, including the Baja Peninsula and border towns such as Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez. As of 2017, residents of the US, Canada, the UK, Japan, and Schengen countries (Europe) no longer need a tourist visa anywhere in Mexico. Others may need a Mexican visa or tourist card to travel beyond the border zone.

Visa Applications

Apart from most Canadian citizens and those entering under the Visa Waiver Program, all foreign visitors will need to obtain a visa from a US consulate or embassy abroad. Most applicants must schedule a personal interview, to which you must bring all your documentation and proof of fee payment. Wait times for interviews vary, but afterward, barring problems, visa issuance takes from a few days to a few weeks.

Your passport must be valid for the entirety of your intended stay in the USA, and sometimes six months longer, depending on your country of citizenship. You’ll need a recent photo (2in by 2in) and you must pay a nonrefundable $160 processing fee, plus in a few cases an additional visa-issuance reciprocity fee. You’ll also need to fill out the online DS-160 nonimmigrant visa electronic application.

Visa applicants are required to show documents of financial stability (or evidence that a US resident will provide financial support), a round-trip or onward ticket and ‘binding obligations’ that will ensure their return home, such as family ties, a home or a job. Because of these requirements, those planning to travel through other countries before arriving in the USA are generally better off applying for a US visa while they’re still in their home country, rather than while on the road.

The most common visa is a nonimmigrant visitor’s visa: type B-1 for business purposes, B-2 for tourism or visiting friends and relatives. A visitor’s visa is good for multiple entries over one or five years, and specifically prohibits the visitor from taking paid employment in the USA. The validity period depends on what country you are from. The actual length of time you’ll be allowed to stay in the USA is determined by US immigration at the port of entry.

If you’re coming to the USA to work or study, you will need a different type of visa, and the company or institution to which you are going should make the arrangements.

Other categories of nonimmigrant visas include an F-1 visa for students attending a course at a recognized institution; an H-1, H-2 or H-3 visa for temporary employment; and a J-1 visa for exchange visitors in approved programs.

HOTEL

Since most of the action in Las Vegas is focused around a portion of South Las Vegas Boulevard knowns as The Strip, staying on or close to this area is the best option. This is also where most of the huge, themed resort hotels are found. The price of hotels can vary greatly from one week to the next, with rates skyrocketing around big conventions and great discounts available at slower times. Below is a selection of highly-rated hotels in good locations.

LUXURY

The Italian-themed Bellagio, easily recognizable by the lake and dancing fountain show in front of the resort, and the Venetian, a recreated Venice-themed complex complete with a canal and gondolas, are both luxury resort hotels in prime locations along The Strip. Caesars Palace, also with a great location along The Strip, is a long time classic in Vegas, and home to the famous Colosseum entertainment venue. All of these resorts have wonderful pools, shopping, and entertainment on site.

MID-RANGE

At the north end of The Strip is Treasure Island, with a nice pool area and a good location within walking distance of the major sites. This is an upper mid-range option that often has reasonable prices. Also in this category is the Monte Carlo Resort. This is a quality hotel in a great location that also frequently offers reasonable rates. The Hilton Grand Vacations Suites on the Las Vegas Strip is another quality hotel but it lies a little too far north to walk to the main section of The Strip.

BUDGET

The Excalibur is a formerly grand but now somewhat dated resort hotel that often offers good deals. It has a nice pool area and a great location at the south end of The Strip, near the New York, New York. Across the street from the Excalibur, but just off the Strip on Tropicana Avenue, is the Motel 6. This is a basic motel with a pool and an excellent location. The Travelodge Las Vegas Center Strip is another decent budget option, with a good central location slightly off The Strip.

COST OF LIVING

Las Vegas was long known as a real travel bargain, as long as you could control yourself on the gambling side of things. Those days seem to be returning lately as a great surplus of hotels has kept prices very competitive and should remain so for years to come.

If you are coming at a time when the city isn’t overly busy you can often get an excellent hotel for an amazing price. Sometimes you have to choose one a bit off the famous Las Vegas Strip in order to get great deals, but they are usually available if you time things right. Staying Downtown will also save money on a hotel and give you a different experience that some actually prefer.

The city is filled with free attractions, even for those who don’t gamble. But if you want to see any of the big name production shows or headline concerts then prices can be very high. If you are on a low budget you can always find a free lounge show or similar if you look around a bit. Las Vegas is now an extremely popular family destination with a long list of premium attractions on the Strip and in the general area. If you are coming to Las Vegas with kids then you should strongly consider the Las Vegas Power Pass, which buys you into about two dozen premium attractions at a pretty good discount. Las Vegas hotels are at absolute peak prices for the week around New Year’s Eve, and at their absolute lowest for the first three weeks of December. Otherwise the high season is from February through May and also from September through November. Prices can also fluctuate greatly whether there is a big convention in town, so it’s best to research ahead and book early if availability seems limited. There are only a few hostels in Las Vegas, and none are probably worth it if you have other options. Food and drinks are available at nearly every level of the spectrum, unless you are staying in one of the more expensive hotels, when you’ll have to go down the block to find something cheap.