New rules in place for travellers to the US

UK travellers and holidaymakers heading for the United States are urged to familiarise themselves with the raft of new entry rules which will come into effect next week. The most pressing change is that nobody will be granted access into America unless an electronic approval form has been completed and submitted prior to departure.

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program takes over from the previous green card system which passengers were required to fill out on arrival. The ESTA scheme was originally launched some twelve months ago but recent events have seen the previously optional authorization now become compulsory as of Wednesday January 27th.

The delay in making the scheme compulsory was in order that passengers familiarise themselves with the new requirements rather than making an overnight change which would result in traffic chaos on arrival. Air carriers such as American Airlines and British Airways have both been advising passengers of the new rules stating clearly that failure to complete the ESTA form will result in refusal of entry.

The ESTA form must be completed up to three days (72 hours) before passengers depart. The process takes around 15 minutes and usually approval is granted in a matter of minutes. The ESTA system is applicable to nationals from all of the 35 countries that currently have a waiver status on visas for travel to the US. The approved form is valid form up to two years and allows multiple entries to be made.