Hurrah! I'm authorised to travel to the USA

[slycat]

As mentioned in this post, as of 12th Jan 2009, it will be required for foreign travellers elligable for the visa waiver scheme to gain authorisation to visit the USA in advance of travelling. You can do it online by visiting https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/.

It's surprisingly quite a painless process; I entered all the details of my travel plans and passport info and got instantly authorised. It's effectively the visa waiver form but online. Once applied, it's valid for a year. Nice to see the ever paranoid USA putting up more reasons for honest foreigners to feel like criminals before they've left and not bother tho...

Comments

[frysco.livejournal.com]

I was under the impression it was valid for 2 years.

It technically should be replacing the visa waiver form - otherwise known as the I-94(W).

However, none of the US Immigration officers that I have spoken to when inquiring about it actually know anything about this program. :P

[slycat.livejournal.com]

Well I'm sure I would have known nothing about it without your mention of it. And I'm quite certain it said it was valid until 2009...

[frysco.livejournal.com]

I just did mine now - and it's valid until 22/9/2010.

Does your passport expire before then at all? That may be one reason as to why it may have said 2009.

[rogerirrelevant.livejournal.com]

Visa Waivers always had slightly varying duration periods, partially depending on how the immigration official felt, if prior experience is anything to go on.

Though frankly, I would rather defecate in my own trousers than set foot in America these days, which given how much I was enamoured with the country about ten years ago should speak volumes.