Current Requirements For USA

Could anyone tell me what the current requirements are for entering the USA on holidays?

Im aware of a website you have to register for visa waiver on?

Is there anything else?

I've just done this recently. AS per the email from Aer lingus, you need to do both of the following:

Passengers travelling to the USA must comply with the following mandatory requirements.



1. APIS - all passengers
To ensure quicker processing through the airport for your upcoming flight, we would ask you to please log onto www.aerlingus.com and input your Advanced Passenger Information details under "Manage my booking".

2. ESTA - only applies to passengers travelling under the Visa Waiver Program

If you are travelling under the Visa Waiver Program , you must also apply for ESTA clearance by visiting www.cbp.gov/esta and clicking "Apply Now". Please note that the information you supply when doing both of these must be identical in order for us to receive a clearance for you to travel.

If you have already completed both of these steps, you may disregard this e-mail.

Thank you and Enjoy your flight

Does that visa waiver apply to anyone going there on holiday from Ireland or has it something to do with work or study?

Think it's for everything but it's definitely for holidays, I had to fill one in a few weeks ago.

bartbridge said:

Does that visa waiver apply to anyone going there on holiday from Ireland or has it something to do with work or study?

Click to expand...

Everyone who wants to visit the USA and who qualifies for the Visa Waiver scheme has to fill one in.

In general if you're Irish, don't have a criminal record or communicable disease, want to go to the US on holiday and have never overstayed a visa before, you qualify for this.

Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is available as long as you do not stay longer than 90 days, don't work or study or apply to change your immigration status there. I am pretty sure it allows you to do business e.g. meet clients etc as long as you are not actually setting up a business or taking up work. You must register on the ESTA website; they recommend doing this at least 3 days in adevance.

However if you have ever been denied a visa and/or entry to USA, stayed longer than 90 days on a previous VWP visit or outstayed your visa you will have to get a visa to enter in the future.

Also worth mentioning, if for any reason you didn't hand back your green piece of paper which is stapled to your passport when you enter under VWP, they have no record of you leaving the USA and this could cause problems in the future; normally the airlines remove this from your passport when boarding but it can easily be forgotten about if you cross the border by land into Canada or Mexico and fly on home without returning to the USA. If this did happen, you can register your departure at a later date with the American Embassy (even after the 90 days) by supplying evidence that you returned home e.g. boarding cards, payslips.