US immigration ESTA scheme mandatory from today

January 20 2010 by Liam Clifford

The new online US visa waiver checking system for anyone travelling to the US from the UK is mandatory from today (Wednesday 20 January).

The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) needs to be filled in at least 72 hours before setting off for a flight to the US. The online form replaces the old green I-94 card, which was previously filled out by citizens of all 35 countries covered by the US Visa Waiver Program.

Airlines including British Airways and American Airlines say they will be advising people to fill in the online forms and will not let people board without doing so. Although the advice is to fill in the form 72 hours before travel, the authorisation process usually takes just a few minutes to be processed.

Although the citizens of many EU countries do not need a US visa to travel to the US, the EU has criticised the new ESTA scheme as tantamount to a move to visas. Anyone looking to live in the US for a longer period of time, or those who want to study or work in the US, must apply for a US visa through the traditional route.

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