Check ESTA Status
ESTA news, information and help.

Showing Articles for "ESTA"

Blog on ESTA visa waiver news and updates

Travel Restrictions from Europe to the United States

Updated: Jun 07, 2023 | Tags: ESTA Requirements, Travel Restrictions, Border Security, COVID-19

COVID-19 Travel Restrictions have been lifted Effective from 12:01 am Eastern Daylight Time on May 12, 2023, foreign individuals traveling on nonimmigrant visas or ESTA are no longer required to demonstrate that they have received a full course of an approved COVID-19 vaccine before boarding an aircraft bound for the United States. To provide some historical context, initial COVID-19 testing rules…

How will the social media information on my ESTA application be used by CBP?

Updated: Aug 25, 2023 | Tags: ESTA Data Privacy, ESTA Form

Introduction There are several questions on the ESTA application form that are optional. One of these questions is regarding social media account information. This question provides Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with a point of reference when checking applicant information matches an alternative source to those available to CBP. How does CBP use Social Media Information on an ESTA…

Restrictions for Travelers entering the U.S. from China, Iran, Italy and South Korea

Updated: Jun 07, 2023 | Tags: Border Security, ESTA, COVID-19

COVID-19 Travel Restrictions have been lifted Effective from 12:01 am Eastern Daylight Time on May 12, 2023, foreign individuals traveling on nonimmigrant visas or ESTA are no longer required to demonstrate that they have received a full course of an approved COVID-19 vaccine before boarding an aircraft bound for the United States. To provide some historical context, initial COVID-19 testing rules…

Why does the ESTA Application require Employer Information?

Updated: Aug 24, 2023 | Tags: ESTA Application, ESTA Employment Information

Introduction Employment information is used by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to help determine if ESTA applicants are intending to illegally enter the United States to become economic migrants. The specific section related to this law is in the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act Section 214b. ESTA applicants are required to provide employment information as evidence of having substantial economic…

Visa Waiver Program Arrivals Statistics Between 2014 and 2018

Updated: Jun 14, 2020 | Tags: ESTA Arrivals Statistics, Visa Waiver Program

Introduction The U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) arrivals statistics by country of citizenship from 2014 to 2018 have been analyzed and consolidated in this article. These statistics are released on an annual basis by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the results for 2019 are still being processed. This article will share some of the findings discovered on meaningful results extracted from…

Terrorist Travel Prevention Act Impacts on the Visa Waiver Program

Updated: Aug 25, 2023 | Tags: Visa Waiver Program, ESTA Eligibility

Introduction In January 2016, the U.S. government started to implement changes to the Visa Waiver Program through the Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of the previous year. This act aims to exclude citizens of countries deemed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to be state sponsors of terrorism, including people from Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Syria. The act was first amended…

Questions and Answers on Permitted Business Activities under the Visa Waiver Program

Updated: Aug 25, 2023 | Tags: ESTA for Business, ESTA Requirements

This article covers a range of questions and answers on how an ESTA can be used for conducting business related activities in the U.S. while traveling under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). We received a number of the following questions in response to the information on using an ESTA for business purposes and thus have provided more information to travelers with case-specific enquiries. …

What are the categories of U.S. visas and visa waivers?

Updated: Sep 05, 2023 | Tags: USA Visa Requirements, ESTA Requirements, ESTA Eligibility

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…

What is the experience of traveling on an ESTA?

Updated: Jan 21, 2024 | Tags: ESTA Experience, ESTA Application

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…

Imminent Senate Vote on passing Brand USA bill to encourage US Travel

Updated: Nov 22, 2019 | Tags: ESTA Fee, ESTA

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…