Visa free visitors to US can soon register online

Europeans and other visitors to the U.S. who enter the country visa-free will be able to start registering online next month for a new security screening that will become mandatory by January, according to Homeland Security officials.

The new online security screening will replace the paper forms that currently must be completed by visitors to the U.S. entering from the 27 countries that are part of the visa waiver program. The new requirement will not apply to land border crossings, where the paper forms will continue to be used.

The screening program, called the Electronic System of Travel Authorization (ESTA), “will help to modernize our pen and ink system and bring it into the 21st century,” said a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Jackie Bednarz. “All travelers including children of all ages must have an approved ESTA beginning Jan. 12.”

Users of the online system will not be charged a fee, and the registration will cover trips to the U.S. for a two year period, or until the visitor’s passport expires, if the expiration occurs within that two year period.

Increased security is the objective of the program, as it allows Homeland Security to screen visitors prior their travel to the U.S.

www.dhs.gov