The Advantages of Applying for USA ESTA

The Advantages of Applying for USA ESTA
The Advantages of Applying for USA ESTA

In 2008, the US Internal Security Organ put in place the Visa Waiver Program and all the nationals from the 37 member countries have been able to enter more easily the territory since then thanks to the ESTA. The ESTA which stands for Electronic System Travel Authorization is a substitute for the visa and it presents several advantages.

USA ESTA: Simplified Administrative Procedures

The US Internal Security Organ proposes an official website with the ESTA form that every applicant can fill with great facility. The application is then totally computerized and automated. All you have to do is complete all the sections, the most important of which are your identity, the yes / no questions about risks you may present, and information about your passport. There is nothing easier and it will only take about twenty minutes to fill the whole USA ESTA form. Right after, the application is submitted to the system for an automatic processing. The information provided is confronted with the US immigration services’ data. Then, you will receive an automatic response.

The response times are much shorter than those of a visa application since the authorization is generally granted almost immediately. In all cases, a response will necessarily be provided within no more than 72 hours. Most of the time, the USA ESTA is approved and that is why it consists more of a formality. In short, it is easy to access, deadlines are short and responses are generally positive. Those are big advantages compared to a traditional visa application. Plus, it is cheaper because the official amount is only $ 14 which includes $ 4 for the processing fee and $ 10 for the authorization fee.

USA ESTA Allows to Stay Freely and Easily in the United States

Once your ESTA is granted, it is legally valid for a period of 2 years. It is true that this period of validity is generally shorter than a conventional visa, but it remains relatively long and already allows you to travel several times to the United States. It is important to notice that each time an authorization comes to an end, a new request will be necessary and will also be billed. But the electronic authorization is not limited to a single trip. On the contrary, it is possible to make as many trips as you want as long as the stay between two trips in your home country is long enough.