New Travel Check For Foreigh Visitors to US
There are new travel screening checks getting lined up for foreign visitors to the US.
Europeans and others who travel visa-free to the United States can start registering in August for a new online security screening check that will become mandatory in January to enter the U.S., officials said this week.
The new security measure will replace current paper forms that foreign visitors from the 27 countries that participate in the U.S. visa waiver program have to fill out once they enter U.S. territory at airports and seaports. It will not apply to land border crossings into the United States, where authorities will continue to use the paper forms.
The Electronic System of Travel Authorization — or ESTA — “will help to modernize our pen and ink system and bring it into the 21st century,” said Jackie Bednarz from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “All travelers including children of all ages must have an approved ESTA beginning Jan. 12.”
No fee will be charged to fill out the online form, which will be valid for trips to the U.S. over a two-year period or until the traveler’s passport expires within that time. Read more…