Fermilab International Services

Effective January 9, 2009, foreign travelers to the U.S. intending to use the Visa Waiver Program (“VWP”) will be unable to enter the U.S. unless they have been “pre-authorized” by the new online “Electronic System for Travel Authorization” (ESTA).

Travelers may log into ESTA as far in advance of their travel as possible but it is recommended no less than 72 hours before departure. The ESTA application asks for biographic, passport and other personal data, information about their proposed travel and stay in the U.S., and answers to questions similar to those on the I-94 document every visitor to the U.S. must complete prior to arrival. On submission, an ESTA tracking number is assigned. Travelers must log into the system to see the status of their case. In most cases authorization to travel is issued almost immediately. In some cases, authorization might take two or three days. A very small percentage of cases might be denied, based on patterns of answers, personal circumstances, or for random quality control measures. If the ESTA application is denied and the traveler still wants to enter the U.S., a visa application must be made at an appropriate U.S. Consulate before departure. In such instances the usual visa application process applies, which sometimes can be lengthy.

An ESTA authorization for travel to the U.S. will generally be valid for 2 years or until the applicant’s passport expires, whichever comes first. During this time, a new ESTA authorization is required if the traveler (1) changes his or her name; (2) changes his or her gender; (3) changes country of citizenship; or (4) should change any other answer to ESTA questions.

We urge Users’ who travel to the U.S. on the VWP to become familiar with ESTA and to accommodate this new process in their U.S. travel plans. Arrangements to travel to the U.S. should be finalized as early as possible and the ESTA application should be submitted as early as possible to allow time for a conventional visa application in the event of an ESTA denial so minimizing the possibility of travel delays.