French nationals are entitled to travel to the USA without a visa, since France is a signatory to the Visa Waiver Program. But what about transit through the USA? Is it possible to transit without a visa? Or is a visa required?
Transit ESTA USA
Can I transit the United States with an ESTA?
Summary :
The ESTA electronic travel authorization allows millions of foreign nationals to travel to the USA without a visa under the waiver program. It must be obtained for any temporary stay of up to 90 days, whether for tourism or business travel by air or sea. What about a stopover?
The U.S. government recognizes transit as a stay in the U.S., since it takes place on U.S. territory. In fact, travelers in transit must pass through an identity check in the same way as travelers staying in the USA. During this check, the electronic or biometric passport must be presented, as well as the onward ticket if it’s a domestic flight, or an outbound ticket if your final destination is not in the USA. In short, since entry into the country is involved, ESTA authorization must be requested by nationals of countries that are members of the Visa Waiver Program set up by the American authorities for transit through an American airport (or port).
How do I apply for an ESTA for transit?
The procedure for obtaining an ESTA for visa-exempt travelers does not vary according to the type of stay. Whether you’re traveling for tourism, business or transit, you’ll need to fill out the ESTA form on the official U.S. government website, or use a private site for assistance. Please note that only holders of an electronic or biometric passport are entitled to apply for an ESTA.
To complete the form, you need to fill in several fields relating to the traveler’s identity, valid passport (passport number, issue date and expiry date) and stay. The online form asks only one question about the nature of your stay, and this is the only variation to be taken into account for a stopover. In the section of the ESTA form dealing with your trip to the USA, the first question determines whether you are going to the USA for a transit or a stay. If it’s just a transit, you’ll only be asked for an emergency contact. For a stay, you must also provide your local address. The ESTA is valid for a maximum of two years (subject to passport validity), so it may be preferable to opt for “stay in USA”, as the ESTA allows multiple entries.
The online application will be processed after payment of the $21 ESTA fee. Applications are not processed manually; each request for travel authorization is processed by specially programmed electronic systems. An answer is given within 72 hours at the latest. If the response is positive, you can transit through the United States of America. If the response is negative, you will need to apply for a visa.
Applying for a US transit visa
You must therefore obtain a travel authorization, even for transit. If you do not qualify for a visa waiver, you will need a visa. To do this, you need to apply for a transit visa at the American embassy or consulate. The transit visa is the C visa, not to be confused with the tourist visa (B).
To obtain a transit visa, you first need a valid passport, either biometric or electronic. You must then go to the US Embassy website, where you’ll find a link to form DS-160, which is the visa application form for all types of visa and all lengths of stay. The online form must be completed by uploading a recent passport photo. You will then be asked to compile an application file containing various supporting documents, including your connecting flight to the destination country, or proof that you reside in a foreign country. The USA visa must be paid for online, and costs 160 US dollars. Proof of payment is to be added to the file to be presented to a consular officer. A transit visa is a relatively lengthy procedure, taking around 2 weeks.
