If you are planning a trip to the USA, you will need to obtain a permit to enter and stay in this country. One such documents is a visa that costs up to $200, which allows you a longer stay, and there are also several different types depending on the purpose of your visit to the United States.
source:ytravelblog.com
Also, there is one much cheaper and quicker solution. We are thinking of an ESTA visa that has many advantages over traditional visas. If you would like to know more about ESTA as well as how you can apply for it, please continue reading.
So, first of all, let’s define what ESTA is. Electronic Travel Authorization System or shorter ESTA is an automated system that allows you to get an authorization and the ability to travel to the U.S. for a fairly affordable fee without need for a visa. It seems very interesting; however, before you can get ESTA authorization, you must meet certain requirements that are applied to all citizens.
This system also allows the Department of Homeland Security to determine if you are eligible to enter the United States. It replaced the once-popular green I-94W form, which was filled by passengers for the same purpose during the plane flight. However, unlike that period when you were able to land at the airport and only then find out that you are or not eligible, now everything can be verified through the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.
source:wikipedia.org
The first thing when applying for ESTA is that you meet the basic requirements. This means that you are a citizen of a country that is part of the Visa Waiver Program. If you don’t know what that means, check it out on their official website, and there are lists of 38 countries. If your home country is part of this program, you must have a valid passport and not plan to stay in U.S. territory for longer than 90 days. Also, only persons visiting the U.S. as tourists or business travelers can use this system.
If you meet all of these requirements, you can proceed to complete the visa request on applyforesta.com. First of all, we have to mention that there are a lot of fake websites that are dangerous, and you have to take particular care of this because applying involves entering sensitive information. So, the safest way is to use the only site mentioned above.
source:estavisaus.org
When applying for ESTA, you will need to enter personal information, employment details and choose the bank or credit card you want to pay with (VISA, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or PayPal are accepted). The fee is $14, and if you have done all the above steps as indicated, you will soon be notified whether or not you are eligible. In the event that you are rejected, the failure fee is $4.
Well, that’s all. Once you receive your confirmation, your ESTA authorization will last for two years. Another very important thing that we must emphasize is that even if you have received confirmation that you are eligible, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will pass at the airport because an official of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection must approve it one more time. Passenger experiences show that inconveniences have occurred before. However, you have no reason to be upset or scared because cases like this are really rare.
