ESTA – the hoop generator
On December 2007 I bought a ticket to fly to America on January 2nd. Everything went very smoothly. The ticket was emailed to me, I boarded the flight, I landed in America, and I successfully passed through immigration and customs. One of the joys of being British is that I don’t need a visa to travel to the States – I merely fill out a green piece of card on the plane and hand to the immigration officer with a cheery smile and welcoming “hello”.
However, things have changed. Since January 12th I can no longer buy a last-minute flight to America. Nobody can. Now, you have to buy your ticket well in advance, because you need to get permission from the American Government to even attempt to get into the country – and that could take days.
When I first saw the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) website, I thought it was a hoax. It looks like a hurriedly built site – not anything like the crisp and clean US Government sites that I have got to know oh-so-well. The graphic on the top has been compressed too much, so now shows ghosting, and the title of the site is a rather ominous “welcome” – somehow I doubt the lack of capital letters is due to them wanting to be ‘funky and fresh’.
So, as the website explains (in a variety of world languages) I now have to tell the US Government all about my travel plans, wait about 72 hours, and find out if I wasted my time booking the flight. Of course, if I do get clearance, that doesn’t mean I won’t be allowed in the country – it’s still down to a subjective decision on the part of the immigration officer I meet.
I shouldn’t be annoyed. Most people book their flights well in advance. Most people will get allowed in. Most people have the internet. But what about those people who don’t?
Oh, and watch out for people offering their services in filling out these forms. This article explains all.
