Traveling abroad requires a substantial amount of paper works and legal document; without a visa, you can’t enter any foreign country. Obtaining a visa can be a complicated process where you might roam around a variety of agencies to understand the documents required for the visa process. There are a variety of agencies who offers various services which help the tourists in understanding how the visa process works, but the cost of these services is high. Visa Waiver programs were introduced to cut down these extra charges.
What is a visa Waiver program?
To enter a foreign country, you require authorization through various legal documents. A visa waiver program is a process which helps you receive the authorization to enter a foreign country without an intermediary being involved. All you need to do is provide all the documents required and listed in an online ESTA application.
Pay the amount for the ESTA services, and a tourist can receive from 90 days to 2 years visa for the United States of America. The whole process is conducted online; therefore, one won’t have to worry about traveling to various offices in the city or taking a day off to get the visa.
Why choose ESTA instead of general visa process?
In a general visa process, you have to fill out general details online like name, address, passport number, working or not, and more. All the further information being filled are later to be submitted in the visa application office in physical forms. Along with the form, one has to get an appointment to visit the application center.
There are cases where you can choose the date for the center appointment, but there are also cases where the date is assigned when the waiting line is huge. This process can take 2 to 3 weeks to complete it, and in case the visa application is denied, you have to go through the whole process again.
In an ESTA method, you don’t have to visit any office as the authorization application is available online. It is the best method as you don’t have to pay for the visa and only have to pay for the authorization service. All you need to have is an electronic device with a camera to take a picture of the passport while submitting the document. After presenting the documents, you can receive the authorization within the next 72 hours of the submission.
Therefore it is the best option available for any frequent traveler or a tourist.
The United States of America is visited often both for vacation and work. As millions of foreigners keep visiting the country, receiving the visa might take time for a citizen of any country. Therefore the ESTA system was introduced; it helps in clearing out the waiting period and assists in receiving a 90 days visa within 72 hours of application. And this type of authorization is valid for two years, unlike the general visa which is available for a short period.
IS ESTA a good option while traveling in groups?
ESTA also provides services for people who want to apply in the form of a group application. In this type of application, all you need to do is fill out the details like name, age, gender, email ID and other information of each and every person traveling in the group and the contact details of the person who would be the leader or would be in charge of the group.
It is also beneficial for you as you are making the payment for the authorization at one go and the maximum number of people in a group doesn’t matter and the minimum should be two. Even kids are eligible for both the types of authorization, general application, and group application.
Conclusion:
ESTA system will help a citizen from 38 chosen countries to travel to the USA without any problems. Citizens from these 38 countries can check for the eligibility and apply for the authorization; it won’t take more than 72 hours for these citizens to receive the authorization and can travel worry-free to the USA.
The beneficial service of this system is that you can make end number of trips within the two years of the authorization or till the time the passport expires (in case the passport expires first). This program was introduced by the Department of Homeland Security of the United States to ease the process of visa and the time taken to receive the visa. In case of emergencies, ESTA method might be the best option available to anyone.
You forgot to mention that If you come from the EU or North America and some other (rich) countries, you can actually visit the majority of the countries of the world, without a visa!!
Hi Peter thanks for the information about visas. Safe travels. Jonny