Beginning January 12, 2009, all nationals and citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries will be required by law to obtain a travel authorization prior to initiating travel to the United States. This authorization may be obtained online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA™), a free Internet application administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through a U.S. government Web site at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov
DHS does not charge VWP travelers a fee for completion of an ESTA™ application.
Please note that unauthorized third-parties have established Web sites, which charge visitors seeking to travel to the United States under the VWP. These businesses and Web sites are not endorsed by, associated with, or affiliated in any way with DHS or the United States Government. Again, the United States Government does not charge a fee to obtain information about, apply for, or obtain a travel authorization through the ESTA™ Web site. Use of a private service to apply for travel authorization via ESTA™ will not expedite the granting of approval.
The ESTA™ application Web site is available in 16 languages and includes a help section that provides additional information for VWP travelers to guide them through the application process. Additional information about ESTA™ may be found at http://www.cbp.gov/esta.
ESTA™ application data will remain active for the period of time that the approved ESTA™ is valid, which is generally two years, or until the traveler’s passport expires, whichever comes first. DHS will then maintain this information for an additional year after which it will be archived for twelve years to allow retrieval of the information for law enforcement, national security, or investigatory purposes.
Courtesy of Berd & Klauss Law Office.
