As of January 12th 2009, the US government has made it
mandatory for any visitor to the United States from countries under the Visa Waiver Program
(such as Australia, Japan and Europe) to complete the I-94W form, as part of
the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. This has caused problems for
some travellers who are not used to the new system and have arrived at their US
port of entry expecting to fill in the traditional paper-based form, and
promptly being told that they can no longer do so.
Additionally, it seems that a spate of gap year travellers
have recently found that once they had returned home and tried to claim for the
costs of repatriation on their travel insurance, they have not been able to do
so.
This has sparked a series of statements from insurance and
travel companies alike highlighting the importance of signing onto the esta uswebsite and filling out the
necessary forms up to 72 hours before departure. This is because if the
traveller is refused entry, not only is it unlikely that they will be able to
claim back any costs of their flights home, but they won't be awarded a payout
for price of accommodation etc., should they use ignorance as an excuse and not
have submitted the correct documentation.
The ESTA has been
introduced to make the US safer in a post 9/11 climate but has met some criticism
by business travellers used to booking last minute flights. The online form
does not differ too much from the traditional original paper version and
focuses on questions such as: Have you ever been or are you now involved in
espionage or sabotage; or in terrorist activities; or genocide; or between 1933
and 1945 were you involved in any way, in persecutions associated with Nazi
Germany or its allies? And: Have you ever been excluded and deported?
Similar to the need to admit past convictions when purchasing
a typical home or car insurance policy, it is also required that convictions
concerning moral turpitude and controlled substances be disclosed and may well
affect likelihood of entry. Therefore it is advised that travellers who have
been convicted in the past should consult a US immigration lawyer before
filling in the ESTA.
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