ESTA authorization allows foreign nationals benefiting from the Visa Waiver Program to travel to the United States. They can stay there for 90 days with this travel authorization. The trip must only be made for tourism or business. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection requires foreign nationals eligible for the Visa Waiver Program to submit a pre-departure application.
They have to fill in the ESTA form to be able to embark for the USA. Unlike the old green form that travelers had to complete during the trip, the ESTA form must be completed well before the day of departure. Indeed, the traveler will not be able to board a boat or an airplane without this travel authorization.
How do I complete the ESTA form?
Being an electronic travel authorization system, the ESTA form must be completed online only. Several questions are asked which the applicant must imperatively answer. It asks travelers to identify themselves, provide information from their travel passport, details of their planned trip to the USA, contact details, health status… and many other personal details. Once completed, the applicant can save and submit it for validation. The fact of not answering one or more questions systematically leads to the refusal of the request.
What about errors in the ESTA form?
Applicants must carefully check the information they have provided in response to the questions on the ESTA form. If there are any errors, the applicant can correct them immediately by clicking on the update tab if, and only if, they concern information about his or her trip to the USA, such as address, means of transport or telephone number. On the other hand, any errors concerning the passport or the identity of the applicant are incorrigible. There is no other possible alternative except to reapply.
How much should I pay for an ESTA form request?
The ESTA form was introduced by the U.S. authorities to protect travelers and the American territory. The ESTA authorization service is subject to a fee. To be validated, the applicant must pay the mandatory application fee of 21 US dollars online. Errors and omissions must be avoided when filling out the form. The applicant runs the risk of paying this amount twice if he or she has to reapply for an official ESTA. It should be noted that a successful ESTA application allows the holder to make multiple entries into the United States for up to two years.