Before you can travel to the United States, there are a number of formalities you’ll need to go through. In particular, you need to obtain proper travel authorization. While the USA visa is the universal travel document, you can now opt for theESTA, an electronic document that’s much easier to obtain. This new travel formality is mandatory for nationals of countries benefiting from the U.S. visa waiver program. This program enables the American authorities to control the comings and goings of all persons entering the USA under the Visa Waiver Program. But before obtaining authorization to travel to the USA, the applicant must order an ESTA from specialized sites or from the official US government website.
ESTA USA travel formalities
To obtain ESTA authorization and travel to the U.S., travelers must apply online, as this is an electronic document. The application form consists of several fields and a series of questions. The answers will be used to establish the applicant’s profile and determine whether he or she meets the eligibility rules for ESTA authorization. This new security measure became compulsory in 2009, and is subject to a fee from 2010.
The ESTA application: three possible cases
Once the ESTA form summarizing all your personal information has been submitted, the applicant will receive a reply within a few minutes to 72 hours, depending on the number of requests received by the American authorities. The U.S. authorities can issue three types of decision: approval, pending or refusal.
If the application is granted, the traveler will be able to travel to the United States. If the application is pending, the traveler will have to wait for some time to find out what will happen. To avoid this situation, we recommend that you apply for ESTA 72 hours before departure. On the other hand, if the application is refused, the applicant will have to opt for a visa application at the American embassy, or reapply after ten days if the refusal is due to a typing or spelling error in the online form.
Requirements for traveling to the USA with ESTA
In order to travel to the USA with the ESTA form, the traveler must respect several constraints. To be more precise, the traveler must :
- be a national of one of the 41 countries covered by the Visa Waiver Program (VWP);
- have a valid passport, whether biometric or electronic;
- for business, tourism or transit;
- come to the United States by plane or boat;
- stay in the United States for up to 90 days.
Only by meeting these requirements can an applicant receive an ESTA document for travel to the USA. The document is valid for two years.
You don’t meet all these criteria for your trip to the USA? You can still apply for a visa at the US embassy.
