Esta Visa Application

The ESTA authorisation is a 100% online process in which the applicant has to submit their personal information and employment details to get authorisation for travel in the United States.  A valid ESTA is needed to board a flight to the United States so it is advisable to apply for ESTA approval when you are planning your trip and ven before you book your flights.  According to the official website of the Department of Homeland Security it is recommended that you apply for the authorization 72 hours in advance of your travel to the United States.  Last minute ESTA   The ESTA application process does not take long and in case all the conditions are met you can even get an ESTA authorization in minutes. You might want to apply through a trusted 3rd party ESTA website which simplifies the process.

If you are a resident of 38 nations whose passport holders do not need a visa to travel in the United States and want to travel to the United States for business or pleasure for less than 90 days you need to apply for ESTA authorisation.  The ESTA authorization is required for travellers to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. Why ESTA? You need to travel to the US for business or pleasure The stay duration is up to 90 days You are a passport holder of countries or territories that are part of the Visa Waiver Program Conditions to the ESTA authorization  In 2016 ESTAs of dual citizens of Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Syria have been revoked. ESTA holders who have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen will face additional scrutiny. It is advisable to use a professional and accredited    portal to apply for ESTA online.

The ESTA is not a visa so the conditions, eligibility and ESTA validity vary form visas.  ESTA validity A travel authorization under ESTA is valid for 2 years from the date of issue or until the travellers passport expires, whichever comes first.  The ESTA validity is clearly displayed on the website once the ESTA is approved .  The ESTA validity is generally applicable for multiple trips to the United States for the time duration of validity so you do not have to reapply if the validity period has not expired. Some important points for ESTA validity   Even though the ESTA is valid for 2 years you can stay in the United States for up to 90 days at one time If a new passport is issues for whatever reason you will need to reapply If you wish to stay for more than 90 days you will have to apply for a visa

The US ESTA is NOT a visa. It is an authorization to travel to the United States for business or pleasure for up to 90 days. Only nationals of 38 countries are eligible for visa free travel in the United States without needing a visa.  What you can do with a ESTA authorization  Visit the United States for up to 90 day Travel for tourism purposes Do business but not work No visa needed Difference between ESTA and visa ESTA  authoritative Visa Applicable business and tourism Various kinds for work, study and other reasons Can stay in the US for up to 90 days Extended stay depending on the kind of visa Simple process and processing within 24 hours Takes time depending on the kind of visa Application for ESTA is done online and approval is quick.

The ESTA is an application that needs to be approved so that people can travel to the United States for business or pleasure for up to 90 days.  The US ESTA application is a completely online process in which the apre screening of applicants is done. This is applicable to passport holders of countries and territories that are eligible for VISA free travel under the US Visa Waiver Program.  What is required for US ESTA application In addition to a valid e-passport from a nation eligible for the Visa Waiver Program the requirements for a US ESTA application are Valid credit card for paying the application fee Contact information Employment information How to apply The application process is done online. The applicant can either use the website of the Department of Homeland Security or even apply though a trusted third party ESTA website .  

Because of the US Visa Waiver Program nationals of currently 38 countries and territories do not need a visa to travel to the United States for business or pleasure for up to 90 days. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is aimed to ease travel and also to promote business between the United States and VWP nations. As a reciprocation these nations are obliged to make travel easy for US citizens.  Countries under the Visa Waiver Program Currently (May 2018) 38 nations and territories are part of this program Andorra Australia Austria Belgium Brunei Chile Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Japan Republic of Korea Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Monaco Netherlands New Zealand Norway Portugal San Marino Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan United Kingdom History of the Visa Waiver Program  This program started i...