No more real-time ESTA

THE US Government has announced it will no longer process applications for its Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) in real-time.

The guidelines for the system have always recommended that applications be lodged at least 72 hours before travelling, but in many cases approvals were almost instant meaning some passengers were able to obtain ESTAs at the airport if they had forgotten to do so earlier.

However according to a note on the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website, “realtime applications will no longer be available, and arriving at the airport without a previously approved ESTA will result in being denied boarding”.

The change conflicts with other advice on the CBP site which says passengers may apply at any time before boarding, with a response received within seconds of submitting an application in most cases.

However a statement issued by the US Department of Homeland Security earlier this week cited “changes in ESTA application processing” for the elimination of real-time approvals.

“Since its implementation in 2007, ESTA has counterbalanced vulnerabilities inherent in visafree travel by adding a layer of advance scrutiny that enables our officers to focus on the small population of potentially dangerous travellers,” said Todd Owen, CBP Executive Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Field Operations.

The Department said recent enhancements to the ESTA process had made querying application status much smoother, urging travellers to use the official site at esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/.