Visa Waiver Travelers Soon Required to Pre-Register Online Before Coming to the U.S.
CBP's New ESTA Program Began Accepting Applications on August 1, 2008
New Screening Requirement for Visa Waiver Program Travelers Begins in January 2009
International travelers who are seeking to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program are now subject to enhanced security requirements. All eligible travelers who wish to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program must apply for authorization via a new online system called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) ESTA is an electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
The VWP enables citizens and eligible nationals of certain countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. Countries currently enrolled in the VWP include: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. ESTA authorization will become mandatory for VWP travelers on January 12, 2009.
All nationals or citizens of visa waiver countries who plan to travel to the U.S. for temporary business or pleasure will need to receive an electronic travel authorization prior to boarding a U.S. bound airplane or cruise ship. After January 12, 2009, VWP travelers who receive ESTA travel authorization prior to travel may be denied boarding, experience delayed processing, or be denied admission at the U.S. port of entry.
VWP travelers are encouraged to apply for ESTA as soon as they begin to plan a trip to the U.S., if not sooner. DHS recommends that applications be submitted no less than 72 hours prior to travel.
How ESTA Works
- Log onto the ESTA Web site at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov
- Complete an on-line application. The system will prompt you to answer basic biographical and eligibility questions typically requested on a paper I-94W form.
- In most cases you will receive a response within seconds:
- Authorization Approved: Travel authorized.
- Travel Not Authorized: Traveler must obtain a nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate before traveling to the U.S.
- Authorization Pending: Traveler will need to check the ESTA Web site for updates within 72 hours to receive a final response.
Approved ESTA validity
An approved ESTA travel authorization is valid, unless revoked, for up to two years or until the traveler's passport expires, whichever comes first. It can be used for multiple entries into the U.S. As future trips are planned, or if an applicant's destination addresses or itineraries change after their authorization has been approved, they may update that information through the ESTA Web site.