ESTA is abbreviated as Electronic System for Travel Authorization. It basically is a digital travel authorization to enter the US. It is very important to remember, that this only gets you permission to board a plane to the US.ย
Apart from this system, when a particular person enters the boundary of USA, then the customs and border protection of this country verify if the person is eligible to enter or will go back to the belonging country. ESTA only gather the basic information of the person and most of the time, it is used by travellers, businessmen, and students. This is fast as compared to regular VISA for the USA. The procedure is very short and there is no complexion in the application procedure. People use them to save their time for visiting embassies etc.ย
On the contrary, the VISA can be a lengthy process. This is because the embassy verifies the personโs background before allowing them to enter the borders. No other processing will take place after landing at USA airports. While in ESTA, the person is verified or declined based upon the investigation results. People with VISA can only travel to the country for the purpose for which was it issued. Other than this purpose, the person will not be allowed to travel. If any person is traveling, then there is no need to ask for travel permission. One can travel to the country anytime in a visa timespan. To determine whether you should choose an ESTA over a visa, you can reach out to an experienced Immigration Lawyer US for more details.
Requirements for ESTA
Who can apply?
A person with the following characterization can apply for ESTA application:
- The individual must be travelling to USA for 90 or a smaller number of days. If the number of days exceeds the predefined limit, the person will be automatically arrested and deported.ย
- The aim of traveling must be to have a business meeting or to be on a vacation trip.
- A person will only get an ESTA if and only if the person belongs to the country that is under Visa Waiver Program.
Things needed before Applying
The following requirements must be fulfilled for getting aN ESTA:
- Person must possess a valid passport of a country that is under Visa Waiver Program.
- A valid email address will be collected during the application for ESTA.
- The phone number and home address will also be collected. This phone number and home address will be verified when the person will land in the USA, and it will be verified by the Customs and Border Protection department.ย
- The emergency contact details will be collected. This is because if any emergency happens, the news must be conveyed to the emergency contact details of the applicant.
- Payment can be done of ESTA through a valid VISA American Express, VISA or Master Card.
US Visas
Immigrant visas and Non-immigrant visas are two types of visas. Nonimmigrant visas can only be issued to people who wish to enter the country with aim of tourism, business deals, education purposes or some legal purposes. The applicant must convince the consular officer that one has strong bonding with their own country and that they will depart to their home country after their temporary stay is completed.ย
On the other hand, an immigrant visa is for people who wishes to permanently move to the country, and they do not possess any temporary aims. There is also a sub-category that is denoted as K-Visa. Getting the visa is itself a hectic job, but no worries as this article will help in better understanding of Visa. There is a far list of Visa types. These are as follows:
E1 Visa
It is the type of nonimmigrant visa, in this the person is traveling with aim to carry out any business deal or for business meetings that are based on short number of days.ย
E2 Visa
This is a type of visa that is issued to people belonging to people eligible for the Visa Waiver Program. They are allowed and provided preference over other applicants in same application procedure.ย
E3 Visa
This category only covers applicants from Australia. People from Australia who wish to perform some special duties in countries can use this category of visa.ย
B1 Visitor Visa
This type of Visa is provided to only those people who wish to spend their vacation and tourist spots in the US. They are not allowed to move or wander in a country other than the allowed tourist sports.ย
Conclusion
It is concluded that ESTA is better in terms of time saving and money. They are fast to get but the nature of it is temporary or for a limited time period. Plus there is always the risk of not getting cleared by customs officers when you reach the US. Applicants have to deport when the time period is over. They are not allowed to stay when the duration of ESTA is over. On the other hand, the regular visa holder is free to move into the country and no permission is required to enter or leave the country depending on the type of visa. They can wander freely in the county and fulfil their tasks without any hurdle. The application procedure for visa is lengthy and requires a lot of time as US embassy verifies the claims of applicant.ย
Last Updated on by kalidaspandian
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