ESTA

Full Enforcement of REAL ID Law Moved to 2025, ETIAS Moved to 2024

By Elizabeth A. Evans on April 7, 2023

Posted in Citizenship, Congress, COVID-19, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), ESTA, Global Immigration, Green Cards, Legislation, Permanent Residence, Travel (General), US Immigration

New travel authorization systems are being postponed again in the United States and in Europe: REAL ID until May 7, 2025, and ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) until 2024.

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended the deadline for REAL ID until May 3, 2023. As…

Mandatory Use of Electronic System for Travel Authorization for Visitors on Visa Waiver Program

By Alexandra LaCombe on April 8, 2022

Posted in Customs and Border Protection (CBP), ESTA, Travel (General), US Immigration, Visa Waiver Program

Starting May 2, 2022, foreign nationals who are citizens of the 40 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries will have to use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to enter the United States at land ports of entry.

The paper Form I-94W, Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Record, that is currently in use at the…

White House, State Department Announcements on Travel Restrictions, Visa Interviews, and More

By Forrest G. Read IV on December 28, 2021

Posted in Biden Administration, Citizenship, COVID-19, Department of State, ESTA, H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, H-4, L-1A / L-1B, L-2, O-1, P-1, Travel (General), US Immigration, USCIS, Visa Waiver Program

As 2021 comes to an end, the White House and the Department of State have announced:

South African Travel Restrictions Lifted.

The 14-day travel restrictions on southern African countries will be lifted as of midnight on December 31, 2021. Adopted on November 29^th, the restrictions based on spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant…

DHS Proposes Adding Mandatory Social Media Information to ESTA Process

By Kimberly M. Bennett on December 7, 2021

Posted in Biden Administration, Business Visitors, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of State, ESTA, Travel (General), US Immigration, Visa Waiver Program

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it plans to add mandatory social media collection to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) process.

ESTA is an automated online system that makes an initial determination about a visitor’s eligibility to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The VWP…

Bill for New Visa Waiver Program for Caribbean States to Enter U.S. Virgin Islands Introduced

By Nadine T. Trinh on January 25, 2019

Posted in ESTA, Global Immigration, Travel (General), US Immigration

While all citizens of 38 (primarily European) visa waiver-eligible nations may enter the U.S. Virgin Islands for up to 90 days using ESTA, and United States citizens may enter most of the Caribbean Community Member States (CARICOM) for tourism or as business visitors without a visa, citizens of CARICOM cannot enter the U.S. Virgin Islands…

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