Digital News Report- A new authorization program has been introduced for travelers from the 35 countries that do not need visas to visit the U.S. Visitors must now register online at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at least 72 hours before their departure.
The program, known as ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), has been running on a voluntary basis since August, but will become mandatory on January 12th. Questions on the application range from drug use history, criminal convictions, and terrorist activities. Most people who applied during the voluntary period were approved within a few minutes.
Many foreign travelers have expressed concern over the new measures. A spokesman for the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office has stated, “British travelers who have not registered before their trip are likely to be detained and sent home. [We are] particularly concerned that people who may not have heard of ESTA and booked their trip before enforcement of the new rule may be caught out.”
The countries affected by the new regulation are the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Malta, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.