If you intend to travel to the United States of America for less than 90 days, one of the first things you have got to do is to check whether you are qualified under the Visa Waiver Program.
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows citizens of certain countries to enter the United States for 90 days without a visa. This is applicable only to those traveling for business and tourism purposes. As of December 2018, there are 38 countries participating in the program. The list of countries may change, so you need to confirm your eligibility prior to making travel plans. You may see the updated list here: https://www.dhs.gov/visa-waiver-program-requirements.
Also, you need to have an electronic passport—with an embedded digital chip, a machine-readable biographic page, and a digitally printed photograph. If your country is included in the VWP, all recently issued passport would likely meet all of these specifications.
Source: ausbt.com.au
Once you have confirmed that you can travel under the Visa Waiver Program, the next step is to apply for ESTA online.
ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization. All VWP travelers have to apply for this upon booking their trip until 72 hours prior to flight departure. Last minute application is not advisable. Without an approved ESTA, your airline will refuse to let you board their flight.
To apply, visit the ESTA page https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/
If you simply Google the keyword ESTA, third-party websites might come up in the search results. These ‘scam’ websites might impose fees on top of the $14 standard application fee. Moreover, they might expose you to malware, identity and credit card theft. To know that you are accessing the official ESTA page, make sure it has dhs.gov in its URL.
Source: gieanywhere.com
On the application page, you have to enter details about your passport, nationality/citizenship, employment, and contact information. Make sure that you are using a device with a camera, like an IOS or Android phone or computer with a camera. The Upload Photo section in the application form will activate your camera to take a snapshot of your passport’s biographic page.
After you have completed everything, you may opt to pay right away or pay within 7 days after submission, otherwise, your application will be canceled. Your application will not push through without the payment. The processing fee is $4. If your ESTA is approved, an additional $10 will be charged to you. Therefore, the total cost for getting an ESTA is $14. Payment can only be via credit card or PayPal.
You will know whether your ESTA is granted or not within 72 hours. You can check for the results online. Although you are not required to print your approved ESTA, it is advised that you keep a copy ready when you check-in for your flight.
Source: dw.com
If your application was denied, you will then have to go to the nearest US Embassy or Consulate to apply for a visa. This will, of course, require a longer and more tedious process.
Having an approved ESTA, however, does not guarantee your entry to the U.S. Upon arrival, you will still have to undergo a security check done by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. They have the final decision regarding your entry.
