Before leaving for the United States, you need to know which travel documents are required to enter the country. The choice will always be between an ESTA or a visa. Both documents have their advantages and disadvantages. While a visa is available to everyone,ESTA authorization is only available to a specific category of people wishing to travel to the USA.
You can apply for ESTA online in just a few minutes.
ESTA or visa: travellers concerned
The first major difference between an ESTA and a visa is the category of travelers concerned. While anyone can apply for a visa to travel to the USA (with the exception of certain countries banned by the Trump administration), this is not the case for ESTA. The latter is reserved for nationals of member countries of the Visa Waiver Program.
Since Israel became a member of the Visa Waiver Program in October 2023, the number of countries covered by the program has risen to 41. The VWP allows nationals of these countries to travel to the U.S. without going to the U.S. embassy to apply for a B2 tourist visa. Please note that conditions concerning the type of stay and duration must also be taken into account.
It’s also important to know that the VWP is not an obligation, but a means of streamlining procedures. A person eligible for the VWP always has the choice between an ESTA and a visa for the USA.
ESTA or American visa: conditions for staying in the United States
To determine whether an ESTA or a U.S. visa is more appropriate, we need to study the reasons for and conditions of your stay in the USA. Given that there are a multitude of visas covering virtually every situation, but that the ESTA application is reserved for a very specific type of stay, let’s just look at the ESTA conditions.
ESTA travel requirements
To be able to travel to the United States with ESTA, you need to meet these main conditions.
First of all, you need to go to the United States as part of a tourist or business trip. An ESTA or US visa is also required if you are only transiting via the USA to your final destination.
ESTA is not a work permit or a Green Card. This means you cannot live, study, intern or work in the United States during your stay.
The length of stay must also be taken into account. The ESTA allows you to stay in the U.S. for up to 90 days, whereas with a tourist visa, you can stay for up to 6 consecutive months.
ESTA or visa: is a passport enough?
Another difference between an ESTA and a visa is the need for a passport that meets the U.S. authorities’ security and identification requirements.
Although a visa can be attached to a valid passport, an ESTA requires that the document be a biometric or electronic passport.
To obtain an ESTA, no information is required from the U.S. consular authorities, but the passport must be equipped with electronic systems capable of storing the holder’s fingerprints and retinal scanner.
In all cases, your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay in the United States.
ESTA or visa: how to obtain the document?
Applying for an American visa always requires a visit to the American embassy. For tourist visas, first fill out the online DS-160 form, then make an appointment at the U.S. embassy or consulate.
For work or study visas, you must first find a sponsor, i.e. an employer or a university program. The sponsor initiates the procedure and passes it on to the authorities. If the project is deemed valid, an interview is scheduled at an embassy so that you can defend your project and obtain a visa.
ESTA is much simpler and faster to obtain. There’s no need to go anywhere, just fill in an online ESTA form. All you need to do is fill in the ESTA form, which you can find on the government website.
Once granted, the authorization is electronically linked to your passport for a period of 2 years, or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. It allows multiple entries into the United States.
An ESTA costs $21 on the government website, while a B1/B2 tourist visa costs a minimum of $185.
As we have just seen, an ESTA is valid for 2 years, whereas a tourist visa is valid for 10 years for European nationals.
A new ESTA application must be made if you obtain a new passport, whereas a visa is still valid if the passport to which it is attached has expired. You must then bring your valid passport and the one containing your visa with you on your trip.
You now have all the information you need to choose between an ESTA or a visa. All you have to do is organize your stay in the United States.