28 Nov 14:59

Apply for ESTA for a family member or travel companion

To receive an ESTA to go to the United States, the applicant must apply online through the United States government’s website.

Is it feasible, however, for someone else to apply in your place? What if this was a viable option? Let us investigate the solution to this issue in depth in this essay.

What is ESTA?

The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), sometimes known as the “Electronic System for Travel Authorization,” is an electronic authorization that permits its bearer to travel to and live in the United States without the requirement for a visa.

However, the individual must satisfy certain requirements in order to acquire this authorisation.

For people coming to the United States by air or water, an ESTA is required. As a result, persons entering the United States by land from Mexico or Canada are not obliged to provide an ESTA to immigration officers.

Who is eligible for ESTA?

Anyone intending to remain in the United States may not always be able to acquire an ESTA. In reality, you must fulfil some extremely strict requirements in order to make an online claim.

To begin, you must be an Italian citizen or a citizen of a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program (a visa-free travel programme established by the United States). This initiative brings together forty nations from all over the world, the majority of which are members of the European Union.

Italy is one of the countries with this distinction.

Individuals with dual citizenship, one of which is from a country participating in the US Visa Waiver Program, are also eligible to apply for ESTA.

As a result, the stay must be solely for business, tourist, or transit purposes.

You will need to apply for an official visa for any other travel reason. Finally, the stay cannot exceed 90 days.

Which people are not eligible for ESTA?

Some persons are not eligible to apply for ESTA.

• To begin, visitors from countries not on the Visa Waiver Program’s list are ineligible to apply for ESTA.
• Second, persons who stay for more than 90 days or for reasons other than business or tourism. As previously stated, even if they have a nationality that is part of the VWP programme and thus qualified for ESTA, they will need to apply for a visa.
• Third, those have dual citizenship, one of which is from a nation on the US blacklist. These people will be unable to apply for ESTA USA.

Even if the other nationality is allowed to ESTA, this exclusion remains in effect.

Syria, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, North Korea, Yemen, and Libya are among the nations whose citizens are automatically barred from the visa waiver programme and hence the ESTA.

Furthermore, any visitors who have visited certain US banned countries after March 2011 are forbidden from acquiring an ESTA online.

Please keep in mind that this exclusion applies even if the traveller satisfies all of the other eligibility requirements.

How can I get ESTA authorization?

Once all of the conditions for requesting an ESTA have been satisfied, the request for the authorisation itself can be made. The stages are straightforward and quick, and they are completed entirely online.

To do so, you must link to a site recommended by the US government. Fill out an application form, including personal information and answering questions about your travel, health, and criminal past.

Fill out the form with extreme caution. Any deficiency or omission caused by inattention may result in the denial of the ESTA authorisation itself.

There will also be an application and processing fee. Payment must be paid at the time of the online request and can be done using a credit card, a debit card, or a PayPal account.

Once all of the information has been entered accurately and all of the questions have been answered, all that remains is to submit the application form.

The processing period for files ranges from a few hours to a few days. It is determined by the number of cases being handled at the time, as well as the analysis of personal information.

This is why you should apply well in advance of your travel date.

Once your request has been granted, you will receive a confirmation email.

Print the document for quick verification upon arrival and keep it safe with your passport. Keep your approval number in your emails as well, in case you need to make changes to your approved esta.

Please keep in mind that the only information that can be changed once in the United States is the email address and the delivery and address.

Can anyone fill out the form for me?

It is feasible to have a third party fill out the online ESTA application form on your behalf.

It is necessary that this individual has a copy of the applicant’s passport and identity card and can answer the questions on the application form truthfully.

However, because of the increased risk of rejection, this option necessitates much more attention when completing the application.

In fact, even the smallest error due to carelessness or spelling errors in the basic information (surname, first name, date of birth…) could result in the application being rejected.

The person filling out the application form must also specify that the request is for a third party rather than themselves.

There is a particular checkbox in the online form that relates to this.

Again, failing to indicate this may lead to the request being refused.

In the case of a minor child

Children or minors are common examples of when another individual must complete the online ESTA form. In fact, only adults may apply for an ESTA by filling out the application.

Children, even the smallest, must have an ESTA in order to travel to the United States under the VWP – Visa Waiver Program.

As a result, one of the parents must file the application on their behalf. After filling out all of the information about the minor and answering all of the questions on the form, the person must state that the online application is being completed by a third party.

It is also feasible to submit a group ESTA application that includes all members who wish to stay in the United States in a single application.

The form will take longer to complete, but it will be processed more quickly, and all permissions will be accepted at the same time.