ESTA authorization has become compulsory for certain travelers wishing to stay in the USA. These same people are obliged to obtain ESTA authorization even if they are simply transiting American soil. To be precise, ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization.
Who can apply for ESTA authorization?
To travel to the USA, citizens of countries covered by the Visa Waiver Program must apply for an ESTA document. There are 41 countries in all.
Here’s the full list of countries covered by the Visa Waiver Program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the UK.
Being a citizen of one of these countries does not necessarily entitle you to apply for authorization to travel to the USA. Other factors come into play, such as whether you hold an electronic or biometric passport. The duration of your stay is also a factor, and must not exceed 90 days. To prove the length of your stay in the U.S., U.S. authorities will ask you to present your round-trip airline ticket. What’s more, you can’t work, study or live in the U.S. on an ESTA. Once all these criteria have been met, you can now apply for ESTA online.
Good to know: the ESTA is a compulsory authorization for all persons wishing to travel to the United States of America, whether minors or adults. Naturally, a relative must complete the online application on behalf of the minor.
Simplify your trip to the United States with an ESTA application
The ESTA electronic travel authorization was established with the primary aim of facilitating travel formalities for citizens of VWP member countries.
All you have to do is apply online. You’re probably wondering how to choose an application platform. If you want to go it alone, you can request your document on the official U.S. government website. For additional assistance, you can visit a specialized site.
The delivery time is the same whether you order from the U.S. government site or a private site. The request is processed in the shortest possible time, from a few minutes to a maximum of 72 hours. The only differences between these sites are the price and the level of support you can expect.
A travel authorization to replace a visa
With ESTA travel authorization, you don’t necessarily need a USA visa. This makes your task easier than ever. Indeed, for a U.S. visa, several documents have to be filled in, and the process is long and costly. The procedure can take several months, especially if there are a lot of requests being processed. You are obliged to request an appointment at the American embassy for an interview. But depending on your travel plans, a visa may be another solution. For example, if you want to work or study at an American university, it’s a good idea to go to the US embassy to apply for a visa.