Visa Waiver Pre-Travel Registration

Becomes Mandatory

Visa Waiver Pre-Travel Registration Becomes Mandatory - Travelers to the U.S. fromthe 35 Visa Waiver Program countries must now register online with DHS’ Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before departing for the U.S. The program, legislated by Congress in 2007, became mandatory on January 12, 2009, and requires travelers to provide their name, birth date, citizenship, passport information, airline itinerary, and address while in the U.S. The application also asks several admissibility questions, with regard to health, arrests and convictions, espionage and terrorism, prior deportations, withholding of custody of a child of a U.S. citizen, visa refusals, and past assertions of immunity from prosecution.

The application is submitted online and queries conducted against security databases. There are three potential outcomes: Authorization Approved, Authorization Pending, and Travel Not Authorized. Applicants receiving an approval are authorized to travel to the U.S. under the VWP. Applicants who receive an Authorization Pending response should receive a response within 72 hours. Applicants receiving denials will be refused admission to the U.S. and will probably be denied boarding the aircraft.

Once submitted, the applicant receives a file number which will serve as the sole documentation of ESTA registration. Once approved, registration is valid for two years. DHS has issued a detailed FAQ on ESTA.

Visa Waiver travelers registered with ESTA will no longer be required to complete I-94W cards "when arriving on a carrier that is capable of receiving and validating messages pertaining to the traveler’s ESTA status as part of the traveler’s boarding status." No list of such carriers has been published yet.

The Government Accountability Office and others have expressed concern over the readiness of ESTA for universal application, and Senator Joe Leiberman raised it as a concern during Gov. Janet Napolitano's January 15 confirmation hearing for Homeland Security secretary. She said she'd look into it.

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