Travel is a big part of many peoples lives. Work, school, fun, there are many reasons to travel. Some people only travel a handful of times in their entire lives, but others travel so regularly that it is just a part of everyday life. There are so many places in the world to travel to and each one has its own beauty and unique features and history. The world is full of different types of geography, different climates, different cultures and languages, and different popular industries. Any time you travel to an amazing place that is located outside of your country of residence, you need the appropriate visa. If you are traveling to the United States, you will need an ESTA Visa. To get an ESTA Visa, you will need to fill out the appropriate forms and gather the necessary paperwork. What you will find here is all of the basic information you will need to get the ball rolling and apply for your ESTA Visa.
What exactly is an ESTA Visa? ESTA is an acronym which stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization. This is a system developed by the U.S. government for the purpose of screening travelers before they enter the country. This system was first instituted on the 12th day of January in the year 2009. After this date, every person entering the United States of America on a visa waiver must have an approved ESTA Travel Authorization. Not all countries are eligible to apply for an ESTA. Only citizens of countries within the Visa Waiver Program are eligible. If you are unsure as to your country’s participation status, there is a very simple way to find out. Simply go to the ESTA website, there you will find a drop-down menu with a list of nations. Choose yours and the site will provide the information that it needs.
Here is a quick rundown of the 38 countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program.
38 European and Asian countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program with the U.S., meaning that their citizens can travel to the U.S. through the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) Visa – a method by which the U.S. government pre-approves entry and a 90-day stay in the country.
There is an application for the ESTA, which must be completed and filed digitally. If you are concerned about answering the questions accurately and fully, you can get help through Pick Writers’ top translation companies, all of which have experienced translators in your native language.
- Denmark
- Germany
- Finland
- Italy
- Australia
- Belgium
- Iceland
- Estonia
- France
- Ireland
- Japan
- Andorra
- Chile
- Greece
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Brunei
- Latvia
- Norway
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- South Korea
- New Zealand
- Netherlands
- Monaco
- Liechtenstein
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Sweden
- San Marino
- United Kingdom
- Slovakia
- Portugal
- Slovenia
- Republic of Malta
- England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales
The first thing you need to know about the application process is that everything is done online. This is why the first letter of the acronym stands for “electronic”, the entire process is handled electronically. Applying is incredibly simple, once you open the ESTA website, you will immediately see a button the says “apply here” or “begin application”. To get started right away, click on one of these buttons and you will be taken to the form that you must fill out. Most of the information is very basic. You will need to list your full name, address, phone number, email address, and any other contact information. You will also need to add information about your passport and the reason for your trip. You will be asked for an arrival date as well as a departure date. Other information that you will have to provide includes facts about any serious physical or mental illnesses that may have an effect on your traveling. There will also be questions regarding criminal history, drug problems, and a bit of background. There is also a fee for submitting your application. You will pay a mandatory US government fee of $14.00 USD. If you go through a third party site, you will likely be charged an additional fee by that site for submitting your application. To avoid this, be sure you are using the official ESTA website.
Obtaining an ESTA as part of the Visa Waiver Program is the best course of action when you have to travel on short notice. Having an approved ESTA means that the holder can enter and remain in the United States of America for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa. Hence the “waiver” part of the program name. If you already have a visa, you do not need to apply for travel authorization under ESTA. A visa is a longer standing document and can continue to be used until it expires. It is a common misconception that an individual can take care of applying for or updating an ESTA application through their local US Embassy. In fact, embassies do not handle ESTA’s in any way, therefore, they will not be able to help you with your application. Many embassies do provide an FAQ section dedicated to ESTA because it is so common for people to think that they have the answers needed.
Now, let’s talk about the possibility of a denied application. There are several possible reasons for an ESTA application to be denied. Some of the most common reasons are recently being present in one of the “off limits” countries, having been recently denied a visa, a fear of substance abuse, a medical issue, a mental illness, or even a mistyped response on the application. If you are denied, there are three possibilities for a course of action. The first possible path is to apply for a nonimmigrant visa. This is the best course of action if you have not already been denied for a visa. The second possible path to take is to reapply for an ESTA. Keep in mind that if you choose to take this path, you must provide only truthful responses. If you are found to have been untruthful on your application for the purpose of getting approved, you may be banned from traveling to the US permanently. The third and final possibility is to simply let the matter drop altogether.
It only takes approximately twenty minutes to fill out the travel authorization application, so there is no reason to put it off. If you need more information about the ESTA application process, head over to this website estavisa.cz.