As of January 12, 2009, travelers from all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries are required to obtain approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to traveling to the United States. This requirement applies to all eligible citizens or nationals traveling under the VWP. Established in 1986, The VWP enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for stays of 90 days or less for business or tourism purposes without obtaining a visa.
The ESTA is a web-based system that determines the preliminary eligibility of visitors to travel under the VWP prior to boarding a carrier to the United States.- ESTA Application Procedure
The ESTA application asks for the traveler's biographic and passport information, as well as information about his or her basic eligibility to use the VWP, such as previous visa denials, prior arrests and convictions, and presence of certain diseases. The application also requests the traveler's United States destination, flight information and other travel details, but this information is not required. Once a traveler submits the ESTA application, it will be reviewed against appropriate national security and law enforcement databases. According to the DHS, most applications are decided in a short period of time, but delays are possible.
If approved, an ESTA travel authorization will remain valid for up to two years, or until the traveler's passport expires, whichever occurs first. The authorization may be used for multiple trips to the United States during the validity period. Travelers do not need to re-register with ESTA unless their initial authorization expires or they obtain a new passport. Please note that ESTA registration does not guarantee that a foreign national will be admitted to the United States.
If the ESTA application is denied or the traveler does not apply for ESTA clearance, a B-1/B-2 visa issued by a United States consulate is required for short-term business or tourism visits to the United States.
How This Affects You
Travelers without an approved ESTA are advised that they may be denied boarding; experience delayed processing; or be denied admission at a United States port of entry. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says that the agency will take a reasonable approach to travelers who have not obtained an approved travel authorization via ESTA, and will continue an aggressive advertising and outreach campaign throughout 2009.
VWP visitors may apply for travel authorization via the ESTA website at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
We will provide further information as soon as it becomes available.
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