Normally, the ESTA is adequate for vacation and most business trips to the US. If your travel purpose is listed below, a visa may be required for traveling to the US.
- study, for credit
- employment
- work as a foreign journalist, press, film, radio or other information media
- permanent residence in the USA
Normally, the ESTA is adequate for vacation and most business trips to the US. If your travel purpose is listed below, a visa may be required for traveling to the US.
- study, for credit
- employment
- work as a foreign journalist, press, film, radio or other information media
- permanent residence in the USA
Visa vs. ESTA – what is the difference?
Simply stated - the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is a scheme that provides quick and easy authorization to travel to the United States without forcing an individual to acquire a visa.
What countries currently qualify?
The following countries have been accepted into the Visa Waiver Program by the United States and citizens of these countries can use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization:
The United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, South Korea, Slovenia, Slovakia, Singapore, San Marino, Republic of Malta, Poland, Portugal, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Monaco, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Japan, Italy, Ireland, Iceland, Greece, Germany, Hungary, France, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Czech Republic, Chili, Brunei, Belgium, Austria, Australia and Andorra.
How long is the travel authorization valid?
Your travel authorization will be valid for two years from the date of issue. If your passport expires or changes within this period, a new application must be submitted with your renewed passport information.
Why would an application be denied?
Although we are not supplied with the exact reason for denial, our experience shows the following conditions that may cause an application rejection.
- Providing a passport number that was reported lost or stolen
- Exceeding the allowable stay in the US on a previous visit
- A previous visa request denial
- Engaging in unauthorized work on a previous visit
- A previous denial of entry into the United States
- Suspicion of immigration
- Connections with criminal or terrorist organizations
We are trained experts in ESTA processing and we will communicate directly with you if there is any error or omission in the application form data prior to processing. We want your travel authorization to be approved but if it is not, a full refund will be issued.
How does the USA ESTA work?
The USA ESTA process requires entering personal information about the traveler into the online application form, submitting payment and receiving the results typically within minutes.
This process requires the following items:
- Information about the traveler such as home address and phone number
- Information from the traveler's valid passport
- A valid email address
- A credit or debit card for payment.
Once the application form is complete, and payment is submitted, our agents will carefully review the information and look for errors. We've processed thousands of applications just like yours and know from experience what to check. After we confirm the application data, the information is submitted, and we monitor status. Once approved, we send you an informative email confirmation with a pdf attachment of the acceptance document. The entire process takes just a few minutes.
Why is travel authorization required?
Travel authorization is required to enhance the security of the United States by screening visitors for law enforcement and security risks. The United States Government Department of Homeland Security made electronic travel authorization mandatory in January of 2009 for citizens of countries that are accepted into the US Visa Waiver Program.