ESTA for visa-free travel to the USA
If you’re a citizen of a country that has signed the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, you can travel to the U.S. without a visa, thanks to the ESTA travel authorization. However, the ESTA only applies to a tourist or business trip of 90 days or less. An ESTA travel authorization is also required for stopovers in the USA.
The ESTA does not guarantee you entry to the USA, but it is nonetheless compulsory. The ESTA is a security measure put in place by the American authorities, which works in two stages: the online application verifies your information before you arrive in the USA, but it is the immigration officer who authorizes your entry or not. If the officer considers that you represent a danger to homeland security, or that your application is not in order, he or she will refuse you entry.
ESTA, a mandatory travel document
There’s no point in trying to get to the USA without a travel authorization, as you won’t even be able to board the plane. There are currently two types of travel authorization: the ESTA authorization and the U.S. visa. The ESTA travel authorization is therefore one of the necessary and compulsory travel documents for a trip to the USA, in the same way as a valid passport. Please note that the USA only accepts electronic and biometric passports.
Depending on the type of travel authorization, you will need to present various travel documents. We can’t list them all here, and we encourage you to contact the American embassy for all matters relating to the USA visa. For a tourist or business trip with ESTA, you’ll probably be asked for a round-trip ticket. It is imperative that this ticket does not exceed the authorized duration on the territory, which is 90 days maximum. For transit through an American airport or port, an exit ticket will be required. This is your onward ticket to your final destination.
ESTA travel authorization request
ESTA applications can only be made online, using the ESTA form. You need to fill in the form on the official U.S. government website.
The online form requires your personal details, your passport data, and some information about your trip to the USA. The questions are not complicated, of course, but rigor is required to avoid being turned down by the American authorities for a typing error. Your application is validated when payment is received. TheESTA has not been free of charge for several years, so there’s no point in looking for a free ESTA, as you won’t find one.
Once your request has been sent, you will receive an immediate response, whether it’s a refusal or an approval. Occasionally, however, your request may be put on hold. In this case, the American authorities reserve a maximum of 72 hours to study your request in greater detail. A refused application is a hindrance to your trip to the USA, but not a reason for cancellation. If the refusal is due to an error in the data communicated to the U.S. government, you can reapply. On the other hand, if you do not meet the ESTA admission criteria, you must apply for a visa at the U.S. embassy.
When to apply for ESTA?
The USA undertakes to give you an answer within 72 hours. However, this does not mean that you should wait until the last minute to apply. For one thing, that would be playing with fire in the event of refusal. Secondly, ESTA authorization is valid for two years. In short, we recommend that you apply for ESTA as soon as you plan to visit the USA.
Please note that the ESTA is valid for 2 years if your passport does not expire before then, or if it has not been modified in the meantime. The ESTA is linked to your passport number, so a new passport requires a new application.