If you’re traveling to the United States, then you should definitely get your own Electronic System for Travel Authorisation. Only citizens of countries with Visa Waiver (VW) privileges can apply for their own Electronic System for Travel Authorization; otherwise, you’ll need a possess a valid visa before entering American soil. An esta is the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (or Authorization), which is a screening system you have to apply for online for those who intend to visit the United States of America. What’s more, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization is only for visitors intending to tour or visit the USA for a limited or temporary amount of time, which is to say 90 days (roughly three months) or under.
The Things You Need to Remember When Getting Your Own ESTA-Visa
Things to Remember
You might be permanently barred from entering the U.S. if any false info is given for your ESTA-Visa application. Never give any false information and if you’ve been denied ESTA-privileges the first time you apply for it, just reapply after 10 days while making sure there has been a positive change in your circumstances meriting a change of tone from the people granting ESTA-access in the first place. Acquiring your own Electronic System for Travel Authorization is no joke. Furthermore, if you don’t belong to any of the VW or VIsa Waiver countries, you cannot get your own ESTA-Visa. There are no two ways about this.
Which Countries Are Part of the Visa Waiver?
The eligible countries for the VW program are as follows. Andorra, Chile, France, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Greece, Australia, Germany, Singapore, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Iceland, Monaco, Brunei, Netherlands, South Korea, New Zealand, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Republic of Malta, Estonia, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Hungary, Lithuania, Switzerland, Ireland, Finland, Latvia, Taiwan, Japan, and the United Kingdom. If your country isn’t part of the VW country listed here, then you can’t get your own Electronic System for Travel Authorization. You’ll instead have to apply for a B1 or B2 tourist Visa for all your U.S. traveling needs.
Holding an ESTA-Visa and a Valid Visa at the Same Time
You don’t need to hold an ESTA-Visa if you already have a valid Visa. If, for some reason, your Visa expires and you can’t wait for it to be renewed in order to travel to the United States for whatever reason, then you can acquire your own Electronic System for Travel Authorization for the sake of serving as your Visa substitute (but remember that you can only get this if you’re part of the already mentioned VW countries, otherwise you have no other recourse than to renew). If your current Visa is valid, having an ESTA-Visa is redundant and needless.
Assistance When It Comes to Application
There are quite a number of formalities you need to observe when applying for your own ESTA-Visa. These include going online and making sure you’re part of the VW countries. Aside from that, compared to obtaining a valid US Visa, an ESTA-Visa is far easier to obtain. It’s best done if you want to visit the USA on short notice, under 90 days or exactly that. Otherwise, if you exceed that time, you’ll need to apply for an actual Visa or be placed with fines and penalties as you go back. If you want to visit the US, play by its rules always.
The ESTA-Visa Application Process
First off, make sure you have a return ticket on hand to safeguard your 90-day visit or stay condition for the ESTA-Visa. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization is only for the limited-time travel only. When applying for the ESTA-Visa, you should fill an online form with basic info such as the country you’re a citizen of and personal details. This is a simple form, so no need to feel intimidated by it, but you should have a passport since you’ll be providing passport details on the site as well. Like a regular Visa, you need a passport first.
Last Things of Note and Things to Do
There’s no need to provide your itinerary for travel when making an ESTA-application. Furthermore, the ESTA-form should also require offering details about conviction and arrest records, any drug addictions you might be suffering from, and any communicable disease you have (like with what happened during the current Ebola scare; it’s to protect US citizens from a potential outbreak from diseases that come from foreign lands and whatnot). Complete the form as honestly and as detailed as you can.
