Electronic System for Travel Authorization

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ESTA logo

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization ( ESTA ; German, Electronic System for Getting approval ') is an electronic travel authorization system of the Department of Homeland Security of the United States ( Department of Homeland Security ). It has been introduced as an enhanced security check for travelers to the US from countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program .

A permit is required for any arrival by air or sea , both for planned entry and for transit purposes . An ESTA is not required if you are entering the country by land via the Canadian or Mexican border.

The approval extends only to the On but not travel to the US, the A journey. An official from the American Customs and Border Protection Agency will decide on arrival whether an entry will be approved .

Travelers with a valid visa and US citizens do not need an ESTA authorization.

background

The new online travel authorization process is based on an amendment to Section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act . Accordingly, the Ministry of Homeland Security is obliged to improve the security of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The primary aim of ESTA is to compare the data of all ESTA-registered travelers with the American wanted and prosecution lists before starting their journey. The switch to the electronic version based on the Australian model is related to the expansion of the list of countries that are exempt from the visa requirement . The corresponding process in Canada is called Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) .

validity

Since August 1, 2008, ESTA has been accessible via the Internet for citizens and citizens of the countries participating in the VWP who are eligible to participate. As of January 12, 2009, all travelers, including children, are required under the VWP to apply for an electronic travel authorization before boarding any means of transport destined for the United States. A travel authorization is valid for up to two years, unless it is revoked beforehand or the passport becomes invalid beforehand. The permit is valid for multiple entries into the United States; the applicant can change his new destination address himself via the ESTA website. The travel authorization must still be valid upon entry, but it may expire before departure, whereby the entire stay without a visa may not last more than 90 days.

Data exchange before departure and data storage

The information that is collected by the airline or travel agency when booking the trip (e.g. duration and destination of the trip, credit card numbers , contact details, possibly also special meal requests or information on special aids in the case of a disability) are used by the airlines as so-called PNR data ( Passenger Name Record ) are stored in the reservation systems. The EU has concluded agreements with the USA and other countries that provide for the transfer of passenger data from the booking and reservation systems. The US authorities, for example, access the passenger data available in the airline's reservation systems and usually store it for 15 years. Some particularly sensitive data, such as religious affiliation or ethnic origin, is electronically filtered out in advance. The extent to which the data will continue to be used is unclear and has been heavily criticized.

All data subjects can assert their data protection rights under the Freedom of Information Act , such as access and rectification, with the Customs and Border Protection Department of the United States Department of Homeland Security .

application

  • Travelers should submit an ESTA application at least 72 hours prior to departure for the United States, the system usually issues a confirmation or rejection within a few seconds. If the application is rejected, a regular visa must be applied for, which takes about four to eight weeks.
  • Family members can register for relatives, for example parents for their children or travel agents for their customers.
  • Every traveler must provide personal and passport information, as well as answer some questions about their personal past.
  • No specific travel plans are required to submit an application; The registration number can be used to subsequently change the travel details of an existing ESTA authorization.
  • A regular biometric passport with an electronic chip is required to apply. German temporary and children's passports do not have this chip.

Data to be provided

The following data must be provided when filling out the ESTA form (as of July 2017):

Information about the applicant
Passport information
  • passport number
  • exhibition country
  • Date of issue of the passport
  • Passport expiry date
  • Country of Citizenship
  • National identification number (if available)
  • Other citizenships with corresponding information
Global Entry membership (if any)
contact details
  • E-mail address
  • Phone number
  • Home address
Social media (optional)
  • Platforms with usernames
Emergency contact person in or outside of the United States
  • family name
  • First name
  • Phone number
  • E-mail address
Travel information
  • Transit (yes / no)?
  • Address while in the USA
  • US contact person (name, address, phone number) (optional)
Employer information
  • Employer / company
  • Job title
  • address
  • Phone number
Credit card information
  • First names
  • family name
  • Billing address
  • Credit card type
  • Credit card number
  • Expiry Date
  • Security code
Questions regarding eligibility to participate (yes / no in each case)
  • “Do you have a physical or mental ailment; do you abuse drugs or are you a drug addict; or you currently have any of the following diseases (infectious diseases are defined under Section 361 (b) of the Public Health Service Act): cholera, diphtheria, tuberculosis (contagious), plague, smallpox, yellow fever, viral hemorrhagic fever (including Ebola, Lassa , Marburg, Crimean-Congo fever), acute respiratory diseases (which can be transmitted to others and are likely to be fatal) "
  • "Have you ever been arrested or convicted of a crime that resulted in serious property damage or serious harm to anyone or government agencies?"
  • "Have you ever violated the law related to the possession, use or distribution of illegal drugs?"
  • "Do you seek to engage in terrorist activities, espionage , sabotage, or genocide , or have you ever engaged in such activities?"
  • "Have you ever committed or misrepresented yourself to others in order to obtain a visa or entry to the United States, or have you assisted others to do so?"
  • "Are you currently trying to get work in the United States, or have you ever been employed in the United States without prior permission from the US government?"
  • "Have you ever been denied a US visa that you applied for with your current or former passport, or have you ever been denied entry to the United States or withdrawn at a US destination?"
  • "Have you ever stayed in the United States longer than the length of stay granted to you by the US government?"
  • "Did you travel to Iraq , Iran , Sudan , Syria , Libya , Somalia or Yemen on or since March 1st, 2011 or were you present there?"

fee

As of September 8, 2010, the application costs $ 14; before that, processing was free of charge. The fee is due when applying for ESTA authorization and must be paid within one week by credit card or PayPal . The US Senate had approved a corresponding legislative initiative , which originally provided for an entry fee of 10 US dollars to be paid when filing the application , with the aim of promoting tourist trips to the USA. The EU Commission expressed “great concerns” about the fee: “The EU has made it clear several times that the introduction of an ESTA fee would place an additional burden on EU citizens traveling to the USA and would be incompatible with the repeatedly promised promotion of transatlantic relations and cooperation . "

additional offers

DHS seal

There are commercial websites that appear to be official, offer the ESTA form to be filled out and charge additional fee claims for it.

Rejection of travel authorization

If the journey has not been approved by ESTA, the person concerned must apply for a non-immigrant visa at a US embassy or consulate before traveling to the United States.

criticism

The system has been criticized for several reasons:

  • The actual gain in security that can be achieved by comparing it with the watch list is questionable.
  • Data protection aspects are completely unresolved.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Electronic system for travel authorization: ESTA - Electronic system for travel authorization. de.usembassy.gov, accessed on August 23, 2020 .
  2. https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/WebHelp/ESTA_Screen-Level_Online_Help_1.htm#ta3 , accessed on February 9, 2015.
  3. ^ Extending Travel Opportunities To Our Allies
  4. which can happen rarely, but unexpectedly, as this case in Frankfurt shows .
  5. a b Federal Data Protection Commissioner 2012
  6. https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/WebHelp/ESTA_Screen-Level_Online_Help_1.htm#tna1 , accessed on February 9, 2015.
  7. ESTA FAQ (German)
  8. Requirements for the issuance of the ESTA USA. Retrieved December 11, 2019 .
  9. FAQ on the ESTA website
  10. New tourist fee from September 8th - Entry to the USA will cost 14 dollars in future ( Memento from August 15, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) on tagesschau.de from August 7, 2010
  11. Fifth report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the maintenance of the visa requirement (PDF) , p. 11.
  12. http ://www. Konsumerschutzverein.org/Abofallen-und-Kostenfallen/esta-abzocke.html
  13. http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/ausland/ Amerika/Das-Geschaeft-mit-der-USEinreiseerlaubnis/story/ 29005383