Happy birthday, by the way!

Checked the American Embassy website in London which has the press 
release below. Going to the US government official website (link at 
bottom of press release) says "The tool is easy, free and available in 
16 languages." They make it clear in various places that it's Free, and 
Easy, so probably no need to pay that extra $49.95 for a commercial guide.


      12 January 2009
      One Month Away: New Requirements for British Citizens Traveling to
      the U.S.

(This updates the press release from last year dated 12 December 2008 
<http://www.usembassy.org.uk/ukpapress88.html>.)

A rough estimate of the number of UK travelers heading to the U.S. in 
January 2009 indicates only about 50 percent of those who qualify to 
travel visa-free are registering with the Electronic System for Travel 
Authorization (ESTA). The goal is to have 100 percent of all eligible UK 
travelers signed on by 12 January 2009 when ESTA registration in advance 
of travel becomes mandatory.

"Britain is among the top countries that have understood the need to 
sign up for ESTA. The response is good, but many more travelers will 
have to sign up before traveling to the U.S. They need to know that ESTA 
will not be optional - it will be required before they get on that 
plane," said Rick Galbraith, head of the Customs and Border Protection 
office at the U.S. Embassy.

In January 2007, about 8,000 Britons traveled to the U.S. each day. So 
far only about 3,700 travelers per day are registering with ESTA. So all 
else being equal, the registration rate for travel next month could be 
somewhere around 50 percent. Final figures won't be known until the end 
of next month.

Beginning 12 January 2009, all nationals and citizens of Visa Waiver 
Program (VWP) countries - including the UK - will be required by law to 
obtain a travel authorization prior to traveling to the United States 
under the VWP. Travelers can register for authorization online through 
ESTA, a FREE Internet application administered by the Department of 
Homeland Security (DHS) through a U.S. government Web site. All UK 
citizens planning to travel to the U.S. in the future must apply now.

Eligible visitors seeking to travel to the United States under the VWP 
may apply for travel authorization via the ESTA Web site at 
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov but should confirm their eligibilty for ESTA 
(and previosly the Visa Waiver Program) by using our Visa Waiver Wizard 
<http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/visa_wizard.html>. .

VWP travelers should be aware that unauthorized third-parties have 
established Web sites, which charge visitors seeking to travel to the 
United States under the VWP, for information about ESTA and for 
submitting ESTA applications on behalf of the traveler. These Web sites 
are not endorsed by or affiliated in any way with the U.S. government. 
The U.S. government does not charge a fee for ESTA. Use of a private 
service to apply for travel authorization via ESTA will not expedite the 
granting of approval.

We recognize that there will be a number of travelers who, for one 
reason or another, might not be able to access the Internet to complete 
an ESTA application. In those cases, we recommend that travelers call a 
friend, family member, colleague or their travel agent - all of whom can 
fill out an ESTA application on behalf of the traveler. Public libraries 
and their helpful staff are also excellent resources. Additional 
information about ESTA may be found at http://www.cbp.gov/esta .

 



Anthony Slater wrote:
> Hi,
>
>  
>
> Following a telephone call regarding travel documentation and the USA, I
> was fortunate to find a news item about new travel requirements, in
> addition to existing requirements for people travelling to the USA.
>
>  
>
> I suggest that any list members check this out at
> http://www.esta.us/travel_authorization.html 
>
>  
>
> There is also a fee of US$ 49.95 .........................
>
>  
>
> Bon Voyage!
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
> Anthony Slater,
>
> Director - Phoenix House Haga,
>
> President, E.F.T.C.
>
> Folkenborgveien 198,
>
> 1850 Mysen, Norway.
>
> tlf. +47 69 89 82 50 / fax. + 47 69 89 82 51.
>
> E-post: [log in to unmask]
>
> www.phoenixhouse.no
>
> www.eftc-europe.com
>
>  
>
> http://www.tc-of.org.uk/wiki/index.php/RadioTC_International_Norsk 
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
>