You’re about to fill out an ESTA document for your trip to the USA. Unfortunately, you can’t answer all the questions on the form about admission criteria. But don’t panic! You can leave your ESTA application incomplete before submitting it. You will be able to retrieve your ESTA document and complete it in several steps and several times.
ESTA form registration details
The ESTA form is an electronic questionnaire for citizens of countries participating in the United States Visa Waiver Program (VWP). This form enables the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine whether a foreign national from a VWP country can travel to the U.S. without a B visa. To complete the ESTA questionnaire, you don’t need to go to a U.S. consulate or embassy, as everything is done online, unlike when applying for a visa.
Applying for an ESTA is also faster and less costly than applying for a visa. However, you are limited as to the purpose of your trip to the USA. In fact, only tourist, transit and business travel is covered by ESTA.
You’ll also need to use a U.S. government-approved airline or shipping company for your trip.
The online form requires information about your health, identity, electronic or biometric passport (fingerprints) and criminal record.
Information to provide on your ESTA form
- your identity: surname, first name, date and place of birth, place of residence, gender, nationality, parents’ first and last names, etc. If you are a married woman, don’t forget to mention your maiden name if it appears in your passport;
- your valid passport and your trip: you will need to provide information such as the reason for your trip, the address where you will be residing in the USA, your biometric or electronic passport number and its date of issue and expiry;
- you’ll be asked to answer a series of closed questions (yes/no answers) about your medical history (e.g. whether you are a carrier of a contagious disease). You’ll also be asked about your criminal record, for example, if you’ve ever been arrested or been involved in terrorism.
The electronic form gives you as much time as you need to answer questions relating to this information. It also gives you the opportunity to rectify any information you have previously provided before validating your request.
We advise you to answer the questions as truthfully as possible, because if you make a mistake or lie, you may be refused. If your ESTA application is rejected, you can either reapply or apply for a USA visa at the American embassy.
Please note that you must have a valid biometric or electronic passport to travel to the USA.
Mandatory online application
To obtain ESTA authorization, you need to fill in an online form. You can find the ESTA form on the official U.S. government website, as well as on various private websites that offer a data verification service. If you opt for a private site, you’ll find a customer service team on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Completing an ESTA application online isn’t difficult, even if the original form was in English. Today, the application form is translated into several languages, including French. Registration is done by the applicant. However, to avoid making mistakes, you can ask for help. Those who have already completed the I-94W form will find no difficulty in completing this electronic form. The admission criteria for these two administrative forms are, in fact, the same.
Find and modify your ESTA document
Unlike filling in the I-94w form (the green form that used to be distributed on board planes and ships), ESTA authorization allows travelers to save a partially completed form for later use. Simply go to the relevant section to retrieve your ESTA document.
You do not need to gather all the information requested on the questionnaire to start filling in the form. You can start filling in your electronic form while waiting for your new passport to be issued. Just don’t forget to save the partially completed form so that you can continue where you left off. Once you’ve obtained your new passport, you’ll need to fill in the lines or boxes reserved for your passport references.
