ESTA for USA Travel – ESTA Application System
When I used to visit the US, things were a lot simper than now. As a UK citizen – and citizens of many other countries – I was entitled to what was called the “Visa Waiver Program.”
A little while before landing everyone was given a form to fill out and you handed it in. When you arrived, no visa needed and border control just whisked you through.
But, it seems that things aren’t quite so straight forward anymore. So I looked up some sites for information and advice.
First of all, I saw on the US Homeland Security site that the “Visa Waiver Program” still exists for UK citizens. Phew! What a relief…. Well no, not really. I read a bit further and found you now also have to get what’s called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, (ESTA) which must be completed and approved before you can travel to the US.
If that isn’t a visa, I don’t know what is. In effect, you need to get a visa if your entitled to the “Visa Waiver Program.” As usual, bureaucracy gone mad, and it can be a real hassle for a traveler.
For example, I asked myself, how can I book a flight or holiday package before I know I’ve been accepted and received the ESTA back from the authorities? Don’t bank on grabbing that quick buy bargain!
Therefore, I thought it would be worthwhile giving you some information, if you’re a UK traveler heading for the US, on how best to go through this process. Those of you from other countries entitled to the “Visa Waiver Program” should also find this useful.
So, I’ll briefly explain the basic steps to get the ESTA quickly and easily.
The first think to know is that to be eligible for an ESTA your stay should not exceed 90 days. The reasons for applying for an ESTA are tourism, short term medical treatment, business, or transit to another country.
Furthermore, the ESTA VISA requires a valid passport from the United Kingdom, and a flight ticket home.
To be fair, getting an ESTA should be quite quick – so long as you fill out the form correctly. Then, you’re likely to get it back approved in 24 hours. After that, it’s valid for two years.
After searching for help, I found ESTA US site I found answered most of my questions about the travel requirements, and it help me get through the process very quickly. In fact fiour “clicks” is all you should need.
Click 1: Complete the online ESTA application form
The ESTA USA requires you to complete some information about yourself such as your name, address, and passport number. Also, other questions will be asked such as if you have a certain type of disease, or if you have been involved in espionage during wars!
ESTA for USA Travel – ESTA Application System
Click 2: Submit
After this extremely simple and fast step, the next thing to do is to click submit and wait for the system to check if your information is valid. While you submit, the system will automatically find errors or problems with your application and ask you to correct them.
If you’re having problems, it is possible to chat with the customer service, which answers automatically, or you can also send an email or call the customer service. Once your information is checked you should be two clicks away from success.
Click 3: ESTA verifies your personal information and payment.
This step is quite straight forward, as it consists of the payment of the ESTA fees. The service fees are $74 or approximately £49. It is fast, easy and secure to pay on the website , since it accepts a wide variety of credit and debit cards as Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, and Discover. Your personal information is, of course, safe as the service assures total safety for credit and debit card numbers.
Click 4: Confirm and receive your ESTA via email
The final step provides you with the confirmation of two things. First, that the USA agrees to open its door to you, as you are eligible to the ESTA, and second, the email confirmation will have the USA ESTA attached to the email via a PDF file. Note that you should always travel with the ESTA while you are in the USA.
If you’re like me and hate form filling, or don’t have much time, then I found that the ESTA USA, is a great way to limit stress and facilitate your travel planning, as all the application is done online. In fact, ESTA has offices everywhere in Europe, so it is available at any time line.
In addition to this, the customers benefit from several services including that all applicants are reviewed by Experts live, also it offers assistance via both mail and chat, and you can print out the ESTA.
You are guaranteed a 100% refund in case the application is rejected.
I hope this helps you get through all the red tape quickly, and does away with any worries about the journey.
