The process of getting permission to come to the U.S. can ensnare unsuspecting Australians in a bewildering “alphabet soup” of U.S. government jargon. Luckily, for some visits to the U.S., Australians can take advantage of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, to get an “ESTA visa.” Getting an “ESTA visa” allows Australians to fill out a form online instead of undergoing the hassle of an interview at a U.S. Consulate.
An ESTA visa is not technically a “visa,” but a clearance (a visa waiver) issued by the United States Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) agency allowing Australians to enter on the “Visa Waiver” program. Applying for an ESTA visa waiver clearance currently costs U.S. $4 (and another U.S. $10 if the clearance is approved). It is valid for two years, until an answer on the ESTA questionnaire needs to be changed, or until the clearance holder’s passport expires, whichever comes first.
To apply for an ESTA visa, Australians must navigate to the CBP website and answer the questions posted there. In addition to biographical questions, Australians will be asked if they have certain diseases, have been arrested for certain crimes, and if they intend to work in the U.S. Based on their responses to the questionnaire, ESTA’s automated system will determine if it can issue an ESTA clearance within minutes.
If an ESTA visa waiver Australia cannot be immediately issued, CBP undertakes to manually review the ESTA application in question within 72 hours. If an Australian is denied an ESTA clearance, he or she must apply for a different kind of visa through the usual process. While many immigration professionals would advise that a visa should be applied for if there is any doubt as to whether an ESTA clearance will be approved, the ESTA system can save time and money for many eligible Australian travellers to America.