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ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization.
ESTA is an online application system developed by the United States government to pre-screen travelers before they are allowed to board an airplane or ship bound for the United States.
Starting on January 12, 2009, any person entering the United States under the visa waiver program is required to hold an approved ESTA Travel Authorization.
An approved travel authorization is not a visa. It does not meet the legal or regulatory requirements to serve in lieu of a United States visa when a visa is required under United States law. Individuals who possess a valid visa will still be able to travel to the United States on that visa for the purpose for which it was issued. Individuals traveling on valid visas are not required to apply for a travel authorization.
You are eligible to apply for admission under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) if you:
- Intend to enter the United States for 90 days or less for business, pleasure or transit
- Have a valid passport lawfully issued to you by a Visa Waiver Program country
- Arrive via a Visa Waiver Program signatory carrier
- Have a return or onward ticket
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization will return an Application Status within 72 hours.
Authorization Approved.
Your travel authorization has been approved and you are authorized to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. The system displays confirmation of the application approval and a payment receipt notice showing the amount charged to your credit card. A travel authorization does not guarantee admission to the United States as a Customs and Border Protection officer at a port of entry will have the final determination.
Travel Not Authorized.
You are not authorized to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. You may be able to obtain a visa from the Department of State for your travel. Please visit the United States Department of State Web site at www.travel.state.gov for additional information about applying for a visa. This response does not deny entry into the United States. This response only prohibits you from traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.
Authorization Pending.
Your travel authorization is under review because an immediate determination could not be made for your application. This response does not indicate negative findings.
A determination will usually be available within 72 hours.
If your electronic travel authorization is approved, this approval establishes that you are eligible to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, but does not guarantee that you are admissible to the United States. Upon arrival in the United States you will be inspected by a Customs and Border Protection officer at a port of entry who may determine that you are inadmissible under the Visa Waiver Program or for any reason under United States law.
Eligible nationals or citizens of countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program require either a travel authorization or a visa to transit the United States. If a traveler is only planning to transit through the United States en route to another country, when he or she completes the travel authorization application in ESTA, the traveler should select "Yes" to the question "Is your travel to the US occurring in transit to another country?".
Travelers applying for admission to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program who are determined to be inadmissible to the United States will be denied admission and returned to their country of origin, or a third country from which the traveler holds a round-trip ticket, aboard the carrier on which the traveler arrived in the United States.
If you are a citizen of a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), and you enter the U.S. by land from Mexico or Canada, an ESTA is not required.
First entry via land border without a valid ESTA - You will be required to complete the paper I-94W form and proceed through a manual entry process at the land border crossing.
First entry via land border with a valid ESTA - You will not be required to complete the paper I-94W form, but you must still proceed through a manual entry process at the land border crossing.
Reentry via land border with a valid I-94W or valid stamp in passport from a previous admission – If you reenter the U.S. after a trip of less than 30 days to Mexico or Canada, you will not be required to obtain a new I-94W and your entry process is expedited.
Note: VWP citizens do not need an ESTA to travel on the ferries between Vancouver and Victoria, BC and Washington State. They are treated as a land border port.
Yes. Specific travel plans are not mandatory at the time of application, but you will need a U.S. point of contact.
Although specific travel plans are not required, the address where you will be staying in the United States is recommended to complete the application. If multiple locations are planned, you only need to enter the first address. If a complete address is not known, you can enter the name of the hotel or location you will visit.
If you are in transit, please select 'yes' to the 'Is your travel to the U.S. occurring in transit to another country?' question in the Travel Information section.
All individuals must demonstrate that they are not intending immigrants into the United States and qualify for visitor or non-immigrant status. Employment information can help demonstrate eligibility under this legal requirement.