Any French national wishing to travel to the USA has already heard of ESTA. Here we explain the purpose of ESTA, to help you decide whether you need it.
ESTA’s usefulness to the US government: protecting its soil
Summary :
The climate of international insecurity has led the US government to step up security measures to protect its borders. The September 11 attacks were, of course, a major trigger, and several measures were taken in their wake. These include the introduction of ESTA, and the use of secure passports (electronic passports followed by biometric passports).
Passport USA
The primary purpose of the ESTA is to guarantee U.S. homeland security within the framework of the Visa Waiver Program. This program offers visa-free travel to nationals of the 38 signatory countries. In other words, travelers from member countries were only screened when they arrived in the U.S. at customs. The introduction of ESTA means that travellers can now be screened even before they arrive on American soil, since it is obtained prior to departure, subject to various conditions.
The ESTA format also reduces the risk of counterfeiting: it’s not a paper authorization, but an electronic travel authorization added to the electronic chip in a valid passport.
For the U.S. government, the purpose of ESTA is to guarantee U.S. national security. By charging for ESTA, the government also obtains a source of revenue to promote US tourism. ESTA costs $14, including a $4 processing fee and a $10 authorization fee.
Why ESTA is useful for travellers: visa-free travel to the United States
To travel to the United States, a travel authorization is now mandatory for all foreign nationals, with the exception of Canadian citizens for certain types of stay. Travel authorization can take the form of a visa (non-immigrant visa for a temporary stay or immigrant visa for expatriation) or an ESTA for eligible travelers.
Staying in the United States without a visa is worthwhile in terms of both time and money. To apply for a visa, you need to go to the U.S. embassy to submit an application file, which may include various supporting documents. The cost varies according to the type of visa. For example, a tourist visa costs $160.
Although the ESTA is an additional administrative procedure, it is not laborious: it is obtained via the ESTA form, which is an online form available on the official U.S. government website. Only online applications are accepted, so there’s no need to go to the U.S. embassy. If you need assistance, you can apply for ESTA on a private website. The electronic systems in charge of processing ESTA applications provide a response within 72 hours.
For travelers, the purpose of the ESTA is to obtain authorization to visit the United States. Since it is a security measure, certain criteria must be met to obtain it. The requirements are as follows:
- Membership of the VWP, the Visa Waiver Program (subject to certain dual nationalities);
- possession of a passport valid for the entire duration of the stay;
- travel to the USA for a maximum of 90 days, which must be a tourist or business trip (including transit);
- entry into the United States by air or sea via an authorized airline or shipping company;
- absence of threat to American security, including risks related to contagion, attack, etc.
