US visa rules change for some Australians

Australians who have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Syria or Sudan since March 2011 will now need a visa to enter the US.

File photo. Source: AAP

Australians who have recently visited parts of the Middle East and Africa will now need a visa to enter the United States.

From Friday, Australians who have been to Iran, Iraq, Syria or Sudan since March 2011, and dual citizens of those countries, will no longer be eligible to enter under the visa waiver program.

The new measures were included in a bill passed by the US congress last month amid concerns terrorists could take advantage of the program.