The United States allows some foreign nationals to enter the nation without going through the laborious application process for a United States visitor visa. Instead, these foreign nationals can visit the USA by requesting a US Electronic System Travel Authorization, or US ESTA.

US Visa Online (ESTA) Requirements

For applicants' requests for travel authorization to be approved, they must fulfil a number of conditions. Most of the US Visa Online (ESTA) regulations were adopted in 1988, along with the Visa Waiver Program. The guidelines established by the Department of Homeland Security are revised on a regular basis.

US Visa requirements

Conditions for Citizenship

A passport from one of the 40 eligible nations is required. Some of these countries include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Israel, Singapore, Taiwan.

US Visa requirements for passports

Electronic chip

You must possess an electronic passport with a chip (the chip holds the biometric information of the passport holders). All travelers to the US utilizing the US Visa Online (ESTA) program must have an e-Passport with an electronic chip starting on April 1, 2016.

Machine-readable zone

You must have a passport with a biographic page that computers can read.

US Visa requirements - Validity

When you apply for an US Visa Online (ESTA), and when you leave for the United States, your passport must still be valid. You do not need to apply for a new US Visa Online (ESTA) if your existing one expires while you are already in the United States, but you must make sure that you do not stay there for more than 90 days during your trip. When in the US, an US Visa Online (ESTA) application cannot be renewed.

If your US Visa Online (ESTA) expires, you have 90 days from when your passport was last stamped at a U.S. border crossing to leave the country. Contact the closest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to apply for the proper visa based on your intended purpose of travel if you plan to stay in the United States for longer than 90 days.

Travel requirements

• Your stay in the country will last shorter than 90 days.
• Travel: You are visiting the United States for leisure, a vacation, to see friends or relatives, or to receive medical attention.
• Business: Your trip to the United States is intended to conduct business-related consultations or contract negotiations with potential clients.
• Professional Events: You will take part in short-term unpaid training or a convention or conference in the United States that is related to science, education, business, or another profession. Only reimbursements for expenditures incurred during your visit are permitted as payment for attending these events.
• Social Events: One of the purposes of your trip to the United States is to participate in social activities, such as those put on by fraternal, social, or charitable organizations. Also, guests are allowed to participate in amateur musicals, sporting, or other activities or competitions if they are not getting any gifts or honours that could be considered a form of money.
• Recreation: You are visiting the United States to enroll in a brief course of study for fun, such as a knitting class; nevertheless, you are not allowed to enroll in courses that count towards your degree.

US Visa Requirements for Application

• Your US Visa Online (ESTA) application must be made online.
• Before leaving for the United States, you must submit your US Visa Online (ESTA) application. Although a small fraction of candidates may need an additional 72 hours for processing, you will get a response shortly after applying.

Other US Visa requirements

Travelers under the VWP who enter the United States by land, air, or sea must have a ticket either back home or to another non-American destination. A copy of the itinerary must be carried when using an electronic ticket so that it may be shown to U.S. immigration at the port of entry.

Non-VWP-eligible visitors entering the United States on foot from Canada or Mexico must have a completed digital form I-94 with them.

You may use any mode of transportation to return to the United States after transiting through it to a location in Canada, Mexico, or one of the nearby islands as long as your entire stay, which includes the time spent in transit as well as any time spent in Canada, Mexico, or one of the nearby islands does not exceed 90 days.

The return trip must be on a participating carrier if you are transiting to a location outside of Canada, Mexico, or the nearby islands. However, it does not have to happen right away because you will need to submit a new admissions application.

READ MORE:
I-94 Form Elimination is Underway. To enter the United States at a land border crossing, travelers from one of the VWP (Visa Waiver Program) nations have had to complete a paper I-94 form and pay the required fee for the past seven years. Read more at Updates to I94 Requirements for US ESTA

Visa Applicants

If any of the requirements are unmet, you must apply for a visa.

Your travel purpose does not fall under the guidelines of the Visa Waiver Program if you want to stay in the United States for more than 90 days, study for college or university credit, find employment, work as a member of the foreign press, radio, film, journalists, or other information media, or if you want to become a permanent resident. In these cases, you must apply for the appropriate visa.

US Visa Online (ESTA) rejections

If you want to travel to the United States, but your US Visa Online (ESTA) application has been rejected, you must apply for a visa.

Fixing US Visa Online (ESTA) Inaccuracies

You will need to send an email to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to have your US Visa Online (ESTA) application updated if you made a mistake.

US Visa Online (ESTA) Ineligibility

If all other requirements are satisfied, foreign nationals with minor traffic infractions which have not been arrested, charged, or convicted should first apply for an US Visa Online (ESTA) before using the VWP.

It is advised that all foreign nationals apply for an US Visa Online (ESTA) before attempting to submit a visa application. If they satisfy any of the following requirements, foreign nationals of Visa Waiver Program nations are ineligible to travel to the United States:

• The applicant has been arrested,
• The applicant has a criminal record,
• The applicant has certain communicable diseases,
• The applicant has been refused entry into the U.S.,
• The applicant has been deported from the U.S.,
• The applicant has previously overstayed a visa or visa waiver,
• The applicant has been in Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011,

The applicant has dual nationality as a VWP country citizen and Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria.

 

READ MORE:
The United States is the most sought after destination for higher studies by millions of students from all over the world. Learn more at Studying in the United States on ESTA US Visa

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Check your eligibility for US Visa Online and apply for US Visa Online 72 hours in advance of your flight. British citizens, Spanish citizens, French citizens, Japanese citizens and Italian citizens can apply online for Electronic US Visa. Should you need any help or require any clarifications you should contact our US Visa Help Desk for support and guidance.