Every year, over 70 million travelers visit the United States of America. Apart from this, millions of people are also being denied entry into the US due to failure to meet requirements by the U.S Customs and Border Protection Agency. Whether you are looking to travel to the U.S. for vacation, business, tourism, or visiting family and friends, you need to ensure you meet the basic requirements for legal entry.
Just like every other country, you need a U.S. Visa for entry into the United States. However, the U.S Customs and Border Protection Agency has made it possible for travelers who just want a transient stay in the US to gain entry without necessary acquiring an American visa. This is made possible through the Visa Waiver Program.
According to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, travelers will need to file for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) before setting off to travel. Without a valid and approved ESTA, you are not legally allowed to travel to the U.S, unless you have an American Visa. So, there is no way to escape. You have to pass through the legal process to avoid any harassment.
All travelers whose ESTA applications have been approved are granted safe, legal entry to the U.S. A database of verified travelers will be made available to airline and shipping companies for a mandatory check-up. They are required to check your passport number in the ESTA database to ensure you have been approved and authorized to travel to the United States of America by the U.S. Customs And Border Protection Agency.
You also need to understand that you are not eligible for the ESTA if you want to work, invest, school or engage in a journalism work in the U.S. The ESTA only permits you to visit, tour and perform a non-employment related trips to the U.S. On arrival, the U.S. Customs And Border Protection requires that you prove that you are only going to stay for at least a minimum of 90 days. Beyond that, you need to acquire an American Visa.
Security is a big concern in the U.S. Therefore, the government want to ensure that travelers visiting the country do not pose safety threats to the nation. Therefore, travelers from countries such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, or Somalia are not eligible for the ESTA. Travelers with approved ESTA, who are already in the U.S but whose activities are at risk of posing a security threat to the nation might be investigated and evicted.
After you have acquired an approved ESTA, it will be valid for two years. During this period, you can travel as many times you want to the U.S. and have a transient stay. Renewal or reapplication is subject to the expiry of the ESTA. If your passport expires within the two year period, then the ESTA will also expire along with it. Therefore, you might want to check the validity of your passport and ESTA before buying a transport ticket to the U.S.
Application for USTA is not hard at all. Instead of worrying and bothering yourself with the lengthy application at the U.S.Consulates, you can do it online through accredited third-party websites such as ESTA Visa. The application process takes only five minutes. After that, processing will start immediately. In 72 hours or less, you will have your ESTA approval confirmation. Get your ESTA Visa now.
If you want it urgently, then you need to apply for the urgent ESTA. This will require extra fees, but it is worth the cost if your trip has already been planned and scheduled to take off soon. Within an hour, the ESTA will be approved and confirmation sent via SMS message or email. In exceptional cases, this might take longer.
One surprising thing to know is that the processing for ESTA is easier and faster than the normal American Visa. The fees are also cheaper. You get to pay only £29,95 per person via trusted global payment mediums such as Paypal, Mastercard, American Express or Visa.
Maybe you want to come to the U.S. with a family for a visit, tour or business trip, and you have underage children. They also need to have their own ESTA. As long as you have your approved ESTA for the entire family, you are eligible for your tourist, business and vacation trips to luxurious cities such as Alaska, New York, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands in the U.S.