Like the visa, the ESTA is a travel authorization for the USA only. It is intended for citizens of countries benefiting from the Visa Waiver Program.
To travel to the USA with ESTA, the American authorities require foreign nationals to have a biometric or electronic passport. The ESTA differs from the USA visa in that the traveler may not stay in the USA for more than 90 days, for tourism, business or transit purposes.
Apply for ESTA USA online
To apply for authorization to stay in the USA, you need to submit an online request. You can do this on the official U.S. government website, or on one of the many private platforms specializing in ESTA document issuance.
During the online ESTA application process, you’ll be asked to answer a brief questionnaire. The purpose of the questionnaire is to provide precise information to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, so that it can analyze the traveler’s level of dangerousness and determine whether or not he or she represents a threat to U.S. national security.
When you fill in the online form, you will be asked to provide information prior to your trip to the USA, such as: your marital status, passport number, address in the USA…
In addition, you’ll have to answer “yes” or “no” to a series of questions about your health, previous travels and legal history.
Once you’ve completed the questionnaire, all that’s left to do is finalize your ESTA application by paying online using a credit card (Master Card, Visa, American Express, etc.).
The status of your request is communicated to you by the American authorities within 72 hours of payment. Three types of response are possible:
- ESTA authorization granted ;
- ESTA authorization pending ;
- ESTA authorization refused.
What does ESTA authorization mean?
If your online ESTA application has been approved, you are authorized to board a flight or a boat bound for the United States of America.
From the date of issue, this ESTA authorization is valid for two years, and can be used as many times as required. The only limit is the length of stay, which is limited to a maximum of 90 days.
ESTA authorization pending following online application: what to do?
In addition to the authorization granted, you may also have an ESTA authorization pending.
In some cases, immigration computer systems take longer to analyze your application. That’s why we recommend you fill in your ESTA form at least 72 hours before departure.
If you are refused authorization, the first thing to do is to make sure that your application has not been rejected because of an error you made when filling in the ESTA form. In fact, most refusals are due to simple typos or careless errors. If this turns out to be the case, all you have to do is submit a new application online, using your electronic or biometric passport.
If the refusal is due to an external cause, you will not be able to travel to the USA without a visa. The only solution will be to go to the U.S. consulate or embassy to apply for a tourist visa or any other visa, depending on the context of your stay.
