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ESTA requirements more strictly enforced | 05:55 PM GMT, January 20, 2010

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), implemented by the U.S. government early last year for all passengers traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, will be more strictly enforced by airlines starting today.

According to American Airlines, beginning January 20, passengers without a travel authorization from ESTA will be denied check-in on American Airlines international flights into the United States. News sources based in the United Kingdom have cited British Airways as making a similar statement.

Passengers who have not successfully registered for travel authorization face potential consequences including denied boarding, refusal of admission into the United States, referral to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon arrival for a secondary inspection, or a requirement to submit an application and pay the fee to waive the requirement to enter the United States.

Information collected via the ESTA application includes the traveler’s name, date of birth, passport data, country of residence, U.S. visiting address and more. Free registration and further information is available at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

Travelers holding passports from countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program are encouraged to apply for travel authorization 72 hours prior to entering the United States by air or sea. Responses are generally sent minutes later, but may in some instances take up to 72 hours. Once complete, the authorization is generally valid for two years and allows multiple visits without the need to reapply.

Countries in the Visa Waiver Program include: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

Those passengers in possession of a U.S. visa or green card are not traveling under the visa waiver program and, therefore, do not need to register for travel authorization. Additional information is available at the CBP website: http://www.cbp.gov/esta.

If you have any questions about the information contained in this Hot News, please contact your CWT representative.