Travelers from Ireland and about two dozen other "Visa
Waiver" countries will be required to register electronically before boarding
a plane or boat to the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
announced recently.
DHS will begin accepting applications via a secure
Internet site on August 1, and will require visitors to use the Internet system
beginning January 12, 2009, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said.
The move will help U.S. authorities vet foreign visitors, he said.
The requirement
does not apply to U.S. citizens traveling overseas.
The announcement is the
latest change to the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of 27 countries
— most of them European countries that are strong U.S. allies — to travel
to the U.S. without a visa. Currently, citizens from VWP countries complete
a written green form (I-94W) providing basic biographical, travel and eligibility
information while en route to the U.S. and submit the forms to border officials
on arrival.
Under the new program, known as Electronic System
for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, travelers will complete an electronic version
of the form before traveling. DHS recommends that travelers fill out the form
not less than three days (72 hours) before traveling, and authorizations will
be valid for up to two years or until the applicant's passport expires, whichever
comes first.
Initially, there will be no fee to apply for travel
authorization, although one may be imposed later. Visitors will still be required
to have valid passports, but after January 12, travelers with valid ESTA clearance
will not be required to complete the written form.
Chertoff said the system
will make it easier for U.S. officials to check travelers against terror watch
lists, and will help travelers by allowing them to deal with possible problems
before they get to U.S. borders.
Chertoff said ESTA is "a 21st century
solution" to
the problem of keeping terrorists out of the United States.