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USA ESTA
ETSA Requirement as detailed below are MANDATORY for all customers either travelling to the United States or for those travelling THROUGH the United States. Therefore ESTA Requirements are applicable to ALL customers travelling to Auckland on Air New Zealand flights NZ1/2 even if customers are only in transit.
Most EU nationals do not need a visa to enter the USA. However, there are a number of nationalities who do need a valid transit visa to enter the USA or transit between terminals.
Details of those entitled to travel under the U.S. Visa Waiver Programme and those requiring a visa to enter the USA or to transit between terminals can be found in Timatic in your CRS.
Please note all travelers must be in possession of a machine-readable passport.
Important changes to the US Visa Waiver Programme
From 12 January 2009 it will be compulsory for travellers to the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) to apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) no later than 72 hours prior to departure. This online form will replace the green visa waiver form (I-94W) which is currently completed whilst en-route to the US.
Travellers should visit the US Department of Homeland Security website and fill in the required information. In most cases a response will be received within seconds determining whether travel to the US has been authorised. If the application is not authorised then a visa may be requested through the US Embassy. In some instances customers will need to wait up to 72 hours for authorisation.
If you are travelling in less than 72 hours you are still eligible to apply for an ESTA, however you are advised to visit the US Department of Homeland Security website for more information or contact your nearest US Embassy.
Until the US authorities withdraw the I-94W it will remain a requirement to complete this form on board the aircraft.
ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel. Once approved, authorizations are generally valid for multiple entries into the U.S. for up to two years or until the applicant’s passport expires or other specific circumstances give rise to a need to reapply, whichever comes first. Under the new interim final rule, travellers with an approved ESTA will not need to pay the ESTA fees when updating an ESTA application. However, travellers with new passports and re-applying for an ESTA will need to pay the ESTA fees.
ESTA is in addition to the requirement for all customers to submit APIS (Advanced Passenger Information System) data.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced an interim final rule that amends Department of Homeland Security regulations to require travellers from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to pay operational and travel promotion fees when applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) beginning September 8.
A fee of USD$4 will recover the costs incurred by CBP of providing and administering the ESTA system and is in addition to the mandatory USD$10 travel promotion fee established by the Travel Promotion Act of 2009.
The total fee for a new or renewed ESTA will be USD$14.
