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If you are a national of a Country on the US visa waiver scheme you will from 8 September 2010 have to pay a fee of $14 under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). From January 2009 everyone entering the US under the visa waiver scheme needs to apply under ESTA. So far there has been no fee for applying under ESTA.
ESTA takes up to 72 hours (3 days) to process and is valid for up to two years. So you should make sure that you leave enough time for the processing of your application. If you are thinking of visiting the US in the next two years and are a national of a visa waiver Country you should consider applying now and so avoid the new fee.
The visa waiver scheme remains a relatively straightforward option if you wish to visit the US for up to ninety days for business or pleasure. It is much easier to obtain than a full visit visa application made at the local US Embassy or Consulate.
The new $14 fee will be used for the following purposes:
- $10 for Travel promotion under the Travel Promotions Act (TPA)
- $4 to pay for the cost of administering ESTA.
It could be argued that if there was no fee or if the fee was lower this would do more to encourage tourism. Please note that there is less than a month to go before the new ESTA fee is introduced.
