The UK Foreign Office is warning thousands of tourists that they could be turned away at U.S. Airports and ports as a new online entry system comes into effect.
The BBC is reporting that starting January 12, visitors from countries that do not need a visa need to fill out an electronic form at least 72 hours before their travel date. Those who haven’t registered risk being detained and sent home.
The electronic form replaces the I-94 form that visitors had to fill out on the flight and hand to customs agents on arrival.
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) has to be approved by the Department of Homeland Security. Once it’s approved, it’s valid for two years. The U.S. Embassy in London said that so far 99.6 percent has been approved, most within four seconds.
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has been reminding its members about the deadline for several months.
Frances Tuke, an ABTA member, said that “[w]e would advise people thinking about going to the U.S. to fill in ESTA before booking or as soon as they book because if it is rejected, it can take up to six weeks to get an appointment at the U.S. embassy for a visa.”
She warns that people must be wary because ESTA is free but there have been numerous Web sites that offer to process the application in return for personal details and a fee.
Critics of the new system, however, feel that it’s an inconvenience for business travelers or those who like to book last-minute breaks to the United States.
Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent, tells the BBC that “[t]here are many, many draws the United States has but with an extra layer of very intrusive bureaucracy, I think a lot of people will be deterred, if not simply confused.”
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Could someone please explain how a system that typically approves visitors within four seconds does anything to protect our blessed Homeland? It sounds like just another intrusive piece of security theater whose only real effect will be to harm the economy by deterring tourist dollars.
I am confused, why remove the I-94 Visa Waiver? If you can travel, you can travel, if you can’t, you can’t. Why do we need to fill in an electronic one? What if the system crashes or gets hacked? I don’t want to be turned away from visiting the US because someone hacked my details.