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.
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