As we have seen throughout Donald Trump’s time in The White House, he is prioritizing the toughening of immigration policies and other policies related to visitors entering the US. In addition to recent reports that businesses face increased fees for processing the application for foreign workers in the US, it looks like the ESTA USA will also see an increase of more than 50%, if the change is implemented.
What is an ESTA?
ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization and it was introduced to support tourism in the US, whilst also maintaining a high level of security checking of visitors to the US. The US government has an agreement in place with countries that fit the required criteria to become a member of the Visa Waiver Program.
Citizens from countries that are members of the VWP are able to apply for an ESTA rather than the more complicated and lengthy process of applying for a US visa. The ESTA is processed completely online, with the applicant filling out a short form that is then paid for and submitted. It takes around 10 minutes to complete the form and then pay the application fee. Often, the process takes just a few hours before the application is approved or refused.
There are lots of benefits of using the ESTA instead of applying for a visa, including that the application fee is considerably less and that you do not have to attend an interview at the US Embassy. Another key benefit is that an ESTA is valid for two years and within that time, the ESTA can be used for multiple visits to the US with the same ESTA. The only provision is that the passport that the ESTA is linked to is still valid, as you cannot transfer an ESTA to a new passport.
What can an ESTA be used for?
The ESTA is for business, tourism, medical and transit purposes and can be used for visits of this nature to the US, as long as the trip is for no longer than 90 days in total. Businesspeople take advantage of the speedy processing times to make regular business trips to the US and travellers use ESTA to go and see the great parts of the US on their holidays.
How to apply for an ESTA
If you are from a country that is in the VWP then you simply need to fill in the online form and pay the application fee. You will receive your response via email and if accepted, your ESTA will electronically be linked to your biometric passport. You will need to provide personal details and your passport details in the form, as well as completing eligibility questions that will determine whether your ESTA gets accepted or not. If your ESTA is declined, then there is still the option to apply for a US visa instead.
If you are planning to visit the US in the near future, then applying now should help you to avoid the price increase that could be on its way.
