Visa Waiver travelers must obtain advance travel authorization beginning January 12, 2009

On January 12, 2009,  all Visa Waiver travelers to the United States must pre-register through a system called ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). This is done over the Internet at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov. This is a free service. All visa waiver travelers, including children, must obtain travel permission before travel begins under the Visa Waiver program. Once approved, travel is authorized for two years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. In most cases the system will return an immediate approval. However, it may take up to 72 hours. The system is now up and running, and you can apply for authorization to travel now for travel on or after January 12, 2009.

To use the system, you must have your passport information and the address to which you are planning to travel to the U.S. You will be asked a series of questions about your admissibility to the U.S., such as whether you have a criminal record. You do not need specific travel information such as airline flight numbers.

Approved travel authorization does not guarantee that you will be admitted to the United States. It only allows you to board an airplane. The U.S. immigration inspector will still make the final determination.

The Visa Waiver program is available to visitors for business or pleasure coming to the United States for no more than 90 days. It is available to citizens of thirty-five countries. Your stay cannot be extended and you cannot change status to any other visa category. You cannot extend the stay by crossing the border to Canada or Mexico. You must generally have a return trip ticket.

The Visa Waiver program does not apply to citizens of Canada, since Canadians are not required to have B visas in the first place. Canadian citizens do NOT have to use the new ESTA program.

U.S. and Canadian citizens are affected by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. This requires that U.S. and Canadian citizens present a passport or other WHTI-compliant document when entering the U.S. by air. Permanent residents must have their Green Card. Effective June 1, 2009, this requirement will apply to land and sea ports of entry as well. Traveler's under 16 may present a birth certificate. A description of other acceptable documents is provided at http://www.getyouhome.gov/ .