Important Travel Document Information – Please Read
An ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) allows you to visit the United States. This is for any length of time shorter than 90 days without requiring a complete visa. This program is commonly referred to as the ESTA Waiver Program.
If you are not eligible for the ESTA Visa Waiver, you can select a B Visa instead and go through the whole visa process.
- B1 visa – Business travelers
- B2 visa – Tourist travelers
- B1/B2 visa – Tourist travelers
Please note: that receiving the ESTA to travel to the United States does not necessarily mean you will be permitted to enter. Admissibility is usually decided upon the traveler’s arrival on US soil by US Customs and Border Protection officers.
Do I need and ESTA?
Foreign citizens who wish to travel to the United States must apply for a visa. However, the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) was set up to enable the citizens of certain countries to travel to the United States for business or tourism purposes (similar to a visitor’s visa) for up to ninety days without having to apply for a visa. A citizen of a country that is a member of the VWP, therefore, would need to get an ESTA to travel to the United States.
ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization)
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is an initiative of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) of the United States. It is an automated system used to decide if applicants who wish to travel to the US are eligible. With every application, the ESTA collates biodata as well as the responses to eligibility questions asked by VWP.
Although an ESTA application can be submitted at any time before scheduled travel dates, it is usually recommended that travelers submit their applications as soon as they start making plans for their trip to the US or at least before buying tickets from an airline.
A citizen of a VWP member country who has not secured a valid ESTA for travel to the US will not be permitted to check in on any flight, cruise ship, or ferry service bound for the USA. This rule also applies to children who are citizens of VWP member countries. The only travelers allowed to travel to the US without possessing ESTA are those coming into the United States via land or who are US citizens.
Suppose the ESTA Visa Waiver is not an option for you. Instead, you can apply for a B1/B2 visa and go through the entire application procedure.
ESTA Eligibility
If you want to apply for the ESTA Visa Waiver Program, you must meet the following criteria:
Must have obeyed the terms of all previous USA entries.
Not been found ineligible for a visa in the USA.
Never have been convicted or arrested for a moral turpitude crime or offense.
Must not be barred from entering the USA for any reason other than health or national security.
You must plan a vacation, business travel, or transit trip to the USA.
What Do I Need To Apply For An ESTA?
- Valid passport(s) from a Visa Waiver Program country.
- List of Visa Waiver Countries
- Valid email address.
- Home address and phone number.
- Emergency point of contact is phone and email.
- Payment method:
- Valid payment methods include MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Discover (JCB or Diners Club only), and PayPal.
The following information may also be required:
Aliases or other names (If Applicable).
- National ID or Personal ID number
- Global Entry ID number
- Employer address and phone number
- US point of contact name, address, and phone
ESTA Processing Time
You should apply for a ESTA visa waiver at least one week in advance of your trip to ensure approval in time.
ESTA is not a physical document applied for on the official online platform. To apply for it, an applicant must set aside between 15-20 minutes to put together the necessary documentation for the application, read and understand the questions asked in the form, and correctly fill out the application.
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is an automated process; therefore, the wait time is short. Some applications get approved within minutes of their submission. However, submissions can take up to seventy-two hours to be approved. Applicants typically receive email or browser notifications once their submissions have received approval.
ESTA Visa Waiver Process
The ESTA visa applications information submission are completed online with no in-person requirements. After your submission, your details will be reviewed for errors and processed via the Department of Homeland Security system.
To apply for the visa waiver program, the applicant must have a valid electronic passport issued by a member country of the VWP to be eligible to apply. The applicant must provide the number on their passport for confirmation. The applicant will need to give the first and last names of their parents and information on whom to contact within or out of the United States in case of an emergency.
If the applicant is traveling to the United States for business purposes, they will need to give the contact details of the person or organization in the US they are dealing with so that your name, telephone number, and address can be verified. The location where the applicant will be staying while in the US will also need to be verified, so the applicant will have to send their name and contact details.
Other USA Visa Types
A Visa is required for any foreign national wishing to enter the United States. It could be a non-immigrant visa for a short period of time or an immigrant visa for a long period of time. To enter the United States, foreigners must get a non-immigrant visa.
Will I get admission to the United States of America?
An ESTA visa waiver allows a foreign national to go to a US port of entry (typically an airport) and ask for authorization to enter the country. We can make sure your ESTA visa waiver application proceeds easily, but an authorised ESTA does not guarantee entry to the United States.
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is an automated process; therefore, the wait time is short. Some applications get approved within minutes of their submission. However, submissions can take up to seventy-two hours to be approved. Applicants typically receive email or browser notifications once their submissions have received approval.
A citizen of a VWP member country who has not secured a valid ESTA for travel to the US will not be permitted to check in on any flight, cruise ship, or ferry service bound for the USA. This rule also applies to children who are citizens of VWP member countries.
People Also Asked...
If you have received the Travel Not Authorized notification from a previous ESTA application then you will not be eligible to apply for an ESTA again on your current passport.
In this case, you must apply for a B1 / B2 non-immigrant visa and attend an in-person interview at the U.S. Embassy.
It is vital you make no mistakes on your application to avoid an ESTA refusal.
Visitors from countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program are able to apply for an ESTA Visitor Visa Waiver. These countries include, but are not limited to, the following:
- United Kingdom (UK), British Citizens
- Ireland, Irish Citizens
- Australia, Australian Citizens
- New Zealand (NZ), New Zealand Citizens
For any vacations or holidays in America, you will require an ESTA. Regardless of age, every member of your family will require an ESTA. This is valid for 90 days and allows you to travel to multiple states. Any trip that lasts longer than that will necessitate obtaining a complete visa.
In some cases you can get an ESTA for a business visit, providing it is unpaid. It is okay for the company to pay for any expenses such as accommodation or flights. If you will be paid for any of your time spent in the US, you will need to apply for either a B1 Visa for Business Visitors or another of the many work visas available.
In some situations, an ESTA can be obtained for an unpaid business visit. It is acceptable for the employer to cover any expenses, such as lodging or flights. If you plan to be paid during your time in the United States, you’ll need to apply for a B1 Visa for Business Visitors or one of the many other work visas available.
90 days
Once your ESTA is granted it lasts for up to two years. During this period, you are allowed to make an any number of trips to the United States. Each isolated stay can last a maximum of 90 days.
You may stay in the USA for a total of 90 days. However, the ESTA lasts for 2 years after it has been granted. During this time, you can travel to the USA as many times as you like, as long as each trip is maximum 90 days.
If this is the case, you must apply for a B2 visa regardless of reason. Apply for a B1 if it is for business purposes.
You are allowed to work with an ESTA visa waiver, as long as you are not taking employment directly from an American firm. You are not allowed to take any payment for any work in the USA, your employer and payments must be outside of the USA.
A traveller must be a citizen of a nation that has been designated as a “programme country” by the US Secretary of Homeland Security in collaboration with the US Secretary of State to be eligible for a visa waiver under the VWP.
Permanent residents of some countries who are not citizens are not eligible for a visa waiver. Passport security, a non-immigrant visa denial rate of less than 3%, and reciprocal visa waivers for US nationals are among the requirements for programme nation status.
Beginning in 2021, people of 40 nations and territories will be able to enter the US without a visa under the VWP.
There is no ‘renewal’ process for a visa waiver. When an ESTA expires, the holder can and should make a new application if they still wish to travel to the United States in the future. The new application can be sent in before the expiration of an ESTA, but if an ESTA expires while its holder is still in the US, there will be no negative consequences for their departure.
Theoretically, an ESTA has a two-year validity period that begins from the initial date of approval. Applicants will typically receive the expected expiration date of the ESTA via email. An ESTA can, however, expire earlier. This can happen if for some reason, it is revoked or if your passport expires before the expiring date of the ESTA. This is because an active ESTA is tied to a passport, and that same passport must always be used for travel to the US.
Remember that, even though a visa waiver lasts for two years, holders of ESTA are not permitted to stay in the United States for two years uninterrupted. ESTA requires that holders stay in the United States for a maximum of ninety days per visit.