Travelling to the USA requires filling out the ESTA questionnaire

For a successful trip to the United States, it’s important to prepare all the administrative documents you’ll need to enter the country legally. Before you leave, you’ll need to determine whether you’ll need a U.S. visa or an ESTA travel authorization. Some countries benefit from the Visa Waiver Program and do not require a visa to enter the United States.

If you are a national of a VWP member country, all you need to do is apply for a temporary residence permit by completing the ESTA questionnaire. However, before applying for a residence permit, it’s a good idea to find out what information you’ll be asked to provide when you fill in the travel authorization form. in the USA.

Information about the Visa Waiver Program

Thanks to the US government’s Visa Waiver Program (VWP), citizens of certain countries no longer need to apply for a visa to enter the USA. All they need to do is apply for atravel authorization online.

To find out whether you are eligible for ESTA authorization, you need to study the details of the document’s conditions of access. Even if your country benefits from the Visa Waiver Program, this does not mean that ESTA will be issued automatically.

The aim of this program is not only to facilitate entry to the USA, but also to prevent potential threats to Uncle Sam’s country or its citizens. The ESTA is in fact a security measure put in place to guarantee the country’s internal security while promoting tourism.

If your stay does not meet certain conditions, you will not be eligible for authorization to travel to the United States. Specifically, the U.S. authorities will only issue an official ESTA for business or pleasure travel, by air or sea. What’s more, your stay in the USA must not exceed 90 days. In addition, to benefit from the Visa Waiver Program and apply for ESTA, you must hold a passport valid for the entire duration of your stay in the USA. Your passport must be an electronic or biometric passport.

If at least one of these conditions is not met, you will need to apply for a visa at the US embassy.

Register for ESTA online

You can only register for the ESTA form on the Internet. You can either apply for ESTA on the official U.S. government website, or on a private website whose staff specialize in ESTA applications.

To apply online, simply fill in the ESTA form with your passport and personal details, and pay the application fee.

The contents of the ESTA questionnaire

For starters, you can fill out the ESTA questionnaire in French, so there’s no need to translate every question!

The online ESTA form is divided into three parts. In the first, you’ll be asked to enter general information to identify yourself (surname, first name, age, gender, date of birth, etc.). The second part of the ESTA questionnaire asks for your passport details (passport number, for example) and the reasons for your stay in the United States. Finally, the last section is made up of closed questions (yes/no answers) relating to potential legal convictions and your current state of health.

Deadlines for ESTA authorization

Once you’ve completed the ESTA questionnaire and paid by credit card, all you have to do is wait for your request to be answered. Your file is reviewed by US Customs and Border Protection. The final decision will be posted online within 72 hours of your request.

There are three possible responses to the online form:

• the application is validated, so you are authorized to go to the United States;
• the request is pending, a reply will be sent within 3 days ;
• the application is rejected.

Once obtained, you can keep a copy of the ESTA travel authorization, but be aware that you won’t be asked for it as the ESTA is electronically linked to your passport. If your application is refused, you will need to apply for a U.S. visa through the U.S. Consular Service.

The electronic authorization to travel to the USA is valid for two years from the date of issue. However, you must ensure that your passport is still valid during this period, otherwise you will be obliged to recommend an ESTA with your new passport.

How do I retrieve my travel document online?

To find out the status of your ESTA, you can retrieve it by entering your personal details. All you need to do is visit the official website and enter your name, ESTA number and passport number.

ESTA authorization refused: what to do?

Even if you meet the pre-requisites listed above, U.S. customs may refuse your ESTA application. However, this does not necessarily mean that you cannot obtain the ESTA document. In fact, if you misspell your name or enter the wrong number in your passport number when filling in the ESTA questionnaire, your application will be rejected. Fortunately, if this happens, you can reapply for ESTA, but you’ll still have to pay a new fee.

In some cases, however, travelers are not eligible for ESTA. In this case, there’s only one solution: go to an American embassy to apply for a USA visa.