Thread: Travellers to US will be denied boarding without E-authorisa

From Times Online
January 12, 2010

Travellers to US will be denied boarding without e-authorisation

US authorities make advance registration with ESTA mandatory from 20 January for visa waiver countries

Mark Frary

Business travellers heading to the United States from 20 January must obtain electronic authorisation of their eligibility to travel or face not being able to board their plane.

The US Customs and Border Protection is to make it mandatory from that date for all passengers heading to the country under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to have received authorisation under its Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). The requirement also applies to those in transit through the US.

The system requires travellers to supply personal information including name, date of birth, and passport information, as well as travel information such as the flight number and destination address in the United States. The traveller will also be required to answer VWP eligibility yes/no questions regarding communicable diseases, arrests and convictions for certain crimes, and past history of visa refusal among others.

The authorisation process can take just a few seconds but the US authorities have warned that it may take up to 72 hours. You can apply for ESTA in advance, even if you have not yet booked a ticket – the authorisation is valid for up to two years and for multiple trips.

British Airways says that passengers without ESTA clearance from that date will not be issued with a boarding pass and will not be allowed to travel. Passengers travelling from countries in the VWP, which includes the UK and other European countries, have been able to use ESTA on a voluntary basis since August 2008.

ESTA will replace the traditional green paper form I94W for entry under the VWP. Passengers with a valid visa or a Green Card do not need to seek authorisation.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel ... 984871.ece

That's all well and good, except it's a joke when millions of people illegally cross our borders. Why don't we tighten enforcement there for once? For the most part, we can track the flying public and find out who they are.

We make it too easy on those criminals who cross the borders and disappear into the US, creating so many more problems for us.