ESTA Resources

Introduction The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows visa-free travel for over 20 million visitors annually to the United States for citizens of 43 participating countries globally. The VWP uses a multi-layered security system to stop potentially dangerous individuals from entering the USA. These security measures include comprehensive screening before a traveler departs to the United States and upon…

Introduction Foreign nationals visiting the United States will need to either obtain a U.S. visa or a visa waiver. The visa application process usually involves submitting a form and passport-style photograph online, paying a non-refundable fee as well as attending an embassy appointment for applicants aged between 14 and 79. The visa waiver application process is conducted entirely online and requires…

H-1B Electronic Registration Process for 2021 announced by USCIS The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that a pilot testing phase for the H-1B electronic registration process has successfully been completed. Employers who wish to apply for H-1B cap-subject petitions for the following fiscal year must now register electronically. An associated registration fee of $10…

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) provides travelers with the option to travel visa-free to the United States using a streamlined and automated process. An ESTA can be used by travelers arriving to America by land, air or by sea. It permits stays of up to 90 days and is issued for a period of two years, or the date of passport expiry. An alternative form of travel authorization…

Introduction Brand USA, which is a marketing organization that is funded by the ESTA, sees a way forward with passing a senate bill to extend its funding over the next few years. Brand USA is a mixed public/private organization that acts as the travel marketing arm of the United States. It has been involved in an ongoing struggle to prove that it plays a vital role in travel to the United States and…

Introduction On November 6th 2019, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Polish passport holders will be able to apply for ESTA starting today, November 11th 2019. Poland will be the first country admitted to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) since 2014, when Chile was admitted. Poland will be the 39th country admitted to the Visa Waiver Program since its creation in 1986. An…

Introduction USA immigration policy is changing with regard to social media. The DHS (Department of Homeland Security) is planning to include a new question requesting social media user names on applications including naturalization and green card forms, similar to social-media related questions that already appear on U.S. ESTA and non-immigrant visa applications. The agency states that the data…

Transiting through the U.S. can be beneficial to travelers looking to book more convenient or lower cost airfare on route to their final destination. Travelers from one of the Visa Waiver Program countries can use an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) for such transit purposes. If an ESTA transit application is denied or travelers are ineligible for ESTA, as an alternative they can apply…

Introduction The United States government has announced that it has extended the TPS permits for around 200,000 Salvadorean immigrants by a further year, allowing them to live and work in the US up to January 2021. TPS ( Temporary Protected Status) was granted to people from El Salvador after the major earthquakes that devasted the country in 2001. This status was set to expire in January of next…

Can you get an ESTA with previous criminal arrests or convictions? Applying for an ESTA with a Criminal Record Yes, an ESTA can be obtained with a criminal record, however getting an ESTA approved will depend on the nature of the crime, the age of the offender at the time as well as the date the crime took place. No matter where the crime occurred in the world,…