News
NAMM 2009: Mandatory travel authorisation
Rob Hughes Dec 16 2008, 11:32am
UK citizens required to obtain permission to enter the US prior to travel
As of January 12th, 2009, all nationals and citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries, including the UK, will be required by law to obtain a travel authorisation prior to initiating travel to the United States under the VWP.
This authorisation may be obtained online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), a free Internet application administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through a US government website.
DHS does not charge VWP travellers a fee for completion of an ESTA application. Eligible visitors seeking to travel to the United States under the VWP may apply for travel authorization via the ESTA Web site at: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
VWP travellers should be aware that unauthorised third parties have established websites, which charge visitors seeking to travel to the United States under the VWP, for information about ESTA and for submitting applications to DHS on behalf of the traveller.
These businesses and websites are not associated with the DHS in any way. The US government does not charge a fee to obtain information about or obtain a travel authorisation through the ESTA website.
Use of a private service to apply for travel authorisation 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 travellers to guide them through the application process.
Additional information about ESTA may be found at: www.cbp.gov/esta.
