ESTA or arresta
The government has rolled out another program in the name of security for visa waiver applicants called "Electronic System for Travel Authorization," or ESTA, for short. Effective January 12, 2009, all visa waiver program ("VWP") travelers will be required to obtain a travel authorization via ESTA prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea under the VWP.
The VWP permits visitors from certain countries to visit the United States for 90 days without obtaining a visa. A list of the countries is as follows.
| Andorra | Luxembourg |
| Australia | Monaco |
| Austria | The Netherlands |
| Brunei | New Zealand |
| Denmark | Norway |
| Finland | Portugal |
| France | San Marino |
| Germany | Singapore |
| Iceland | Slovenia |
| Ireland | Spain |
| Italy | Sweden |
| Japan | Switzerland |
| Liechtenstein | United Kingdom |
As of November 17, 2008, The following countries are now included in the visa wavier program: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia. Visitors from these countries must have an e-passport and must be using ESTA now.
ESTA is basically a high tech version of the Form I-94W that people fill out en route to the United States. Instead of completing the form on the plane, visitors will now submit the information electronically in their own country as soon as they know of their travel plans. To apply for travel authorization, a visitor needs to log on to a computer at the following site: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. Once there, the visitor will answer some biographical data questions including name, birth date, passport information, as well as answers to questions regarding eligibility to travel under VWP. After the information is submitted, the applicant will receive an instant answer. The possible answers an applicant can receive are: travel authorized, travel not authorized, authorization pending.
If travel is not authorized, an applicant must apply for a visa at the U.S. embassy or consulate. If authorization is pending, the applicant will need to check the ESTA website for an update within 72 hours.
If a visitor attempts to travel without obtaining the travel authorization, he or she will not be arrested. (Arresta happens to rhyme nicely with ESTA, though.) However, he or she may be denied boarding, experience delayed processing, or be denied admission at a U.S. port of entry.
For more information about ESTA, you may review the frequently asked questions on the CBP website.
