The U.S. government’s Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables citizens of member countries to travel to the USA without having to apply for a tourist visa, but rather for an electronic travel authorization. One important question remains, however: when should you apply for ESTA? Is the advice given to travelers by the American authorities to be followed to the letter, or is it a little too alarmist? We’ll find out in this article.
When to apply for ESTA: what the American authorities say
Summary :
One of the main attractions of ESTA authorization is that travelers don’t have to go to the U.S. embassy or consulate to apply for it. The only way to obtain ESTA authorization is to apply online via the government website, or a private site.
This drastic change in U.S. homeland security policy has greatly shortened the time it takes to obtain an ESTA compared with a conventional U.S. visa. Whereas it takes more than a month to complete a USA visa application procedure, ESTA applications take much less time.
However, the American authorities advise travelers to apply for ESTA even before buying plane tickets. Why are they so cautious?
It’s not enough to be a national of a Visa Waiver Program country to be guaranteed an ESTA. There are several other conditions to consider, such as having a valid passport (electronic or biometric passport), leaving for the United States for a maximum of 90 days, as part of a tourist or business trip. You must also travel to the States by air or sea. The dual nationality of some people can, since recently, pose a problem for ESTA.
This is surely why it’s best to apply for ESTA in advance, in case you don’t qualify. If you fill in the online form well in advance, you still have the option of applying for a USA visa at the nearest US embassy, should your ESTA application be unsuccessful.
The U.S. authorities also announce that the minimum time to apply for ESTA authorization is 72 hours before departure.
How long does it take to obtain ESTA?
If you’re confident that you meet all the conditions and security measures required by the U.S. government, you’re more than welcome to follow this advice. However, we advise you not to be so reckless as to fill in the ESTA form less than 3 days before entering the USA.
Why? In fact, this 72-hour period is announced by the authorities as the maximum processing time for an application. In most cases, the ESTA authorization request is responded to almost instantaneously, but the electronic systems in charge of verification sometimes take longer. This may be due to a large number of applications, or an inconsistency between the information provided and that on the valid passport. This inconsistency may be due to a typing error in the passport number, or inattention to the questions asked. If this is the case, a new application is possible, but not while your first application is being processed. This means that waiting until the last minute to apply can be detrimental.
It’s important to know that you don’t need to have any specific plans to travel to the USA to apply for an ESTA. In the ESTA form, there are no questions about the dates of your