Traveling to the United States you already know what it is, bureaucracy, interviews… and an expense on a visa (it is almost the magic word of terror), but there is an alternative that not many people know and it is available for some travelers. You are not going to believe it, but there is a possibility of entering the country without a visa, as long as one key requirement is met, of course.
The mechanism is called Visa Waiver Program and it works with an electronic authorization called ESTA. Thanks to this system, citizens of dozens of countries can legally enter the U.S. for tourism or business and stay up to 90 days. No consulate appointment and no interviews! Only through an online form. Be careful that this does not work for everyone (and it also does not guarantee that you can cross the border), so we are going to tell you what it is about.
Controlled travel and easier
The idea seeks to speed up the travel of people who do not pose a migration risk, who travel frequently or who do business, when the government talks about “low risk people” it means that they will not stay irregularly in the country. That is why it trusts them…
More than 40 countries are part of the program, mostly European and Asian, so if you plan to visit the USA and you are from one of those countries, you will only have to complete the ESTA before getting on the plane.
What is the ESTA?
Something similar to an express permit, it costs 40 dollars and it is approved in less than 72 hours. You can use it for two years (or until your passport expires), but it only allows you to stay in the country for 90 days, although you can use it several times.
It is not a VIP pass
Even if you receive the famous “approved”, the last word belongs to the immigration officer at the airport, if there is something in your answers, your record or your plans that does not convince them, they can send you home on the next flight…
Can you use it if you live in Latin America?
Unfortunately, for most, no. The program is designed for countries considered “safe” and with low migration risk (we are sorry because it sounds xenophobic, but the government considers that Latin American countries are not “safe” because it believes that absolutely all Latin America would come to live irregularly in our country…). That is why, while in some parts of the world traveling to the United States is as simple as a form, in the region it is still an expensive, long and limited process.
The electronic passport
To use the ESTA you need to have an electronic passport, it facilitates verification and reduces risks, although it also generates exclusion because not all countries issue it and, in some, obtaining it costs quite a lot of money…
Why now?
For business, geopolitics and efficiency. You have also seen how migration controls are at airports… so imagine the pressure in consulates. So, they want to “make friends” by facilitating access to citizens of countries that may serve as a strategic alliance at some point, nobody does anything for nothing here.
Traveling without a visa
Not because you have paid for the ESTA do you have the right to enter the country, be careful, because it does not allow you to work, or study or extend your stay beyond 90 days. Any violation of these rules will result in deportation and having the doors closed in the future.
It is very cool the idea that for some countries it is not necessary to have a visa (even if it is a bit paternalistic, let’s be honest). It is a selective privilege designed for specific profiles (mostly white, in fact).
To those who can access it, it saves money, time and headaches. To those who cannot, it reminds them that access to global mobility is still unequal…