New security measures for entering the United States

Would you like to travel to the United States of America, and discover the skyscrapers of American cities such as New York, the beaches of Florida and California, or the nature and wide-open spaces of Arizona? Travelling to the USA is not always easy, as the American authorities are increasingly vigilant thanks to new security measures in the USA(ESTA, visa, green card…). Would you like to find out how to travel to the USA while complying with these security measures? Read our article and enjoy!

Why so many security measures in the USA?

The American government has always been very cautious about travelers arriving in its country. But since the September 11th attacks , security measures for entering the United States have been tightened. Indeed, to enter the U.S. territory, you need to obtain a pass, be it an ESTA, a visa or a green card. Without this, it is not possible for a traveler to visit the United States.

In addition, at the request of the US government, travelers will now undergo security interviews at check-in at the departure airport. A questionnaire will have to be completed by travelers wishing to fly across the Atlantic.

Travelling to the United States: what are the safety precautions?

To ensure the protection of the country and its citizens, the government has introduced passes allowing certain applicants to stay in the U.S. while reinforcing security measures. These include the ESTA and the visa, , both of which are described in this section.

ESTA

The ESTA, or Electronic System For Travel Authorization, is a travel authorization for the United States that can only be issued to nationals of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), in French Programme d’Exemption de Visa (PEV). This program enables many travelers to enjoy a temporary visa-free stay in the United States for tourism, business or transit. The program was set up to facilitate the work of the American authorities with regard to security measures, and to enable certain travelers to come to the United States without a visa.

Who can benefit?

To benefit from this program, certain conditions must be met.

• You must have a valid passport (biometric or electronic passport).
• You must be a national of one of the 38 countries covered by the Visa Waiver Program.
• Your stay must not exceed 90 days
• You must arrive on U.S. soil by air or sea
• The purpose of your stay must be tourism, business or transit

How do I get it?

You can obtain ESTA authorization online in two ways:

• an ESTA USA application on the official US government website. The application takes the form of an online ESTA form, which you must complete with your personal details. Be sure to concentrate when filling in the questionnaire, as an error in a letter or number can result in a refusal.
• our partner’s platform allows you to fill in a simplified form, and will apply for ESTA authorization on your behalf. You’ll receive a reply within 72 hours.

The visa

The ESTA is very quick to obtain when you meet the selection criteria, whereas the visa can take longer to obtain and be more expensive too.

There are several stages in the visa application process; to begin with, you need to choose the type of visa that corresponds to your motivations. Are you traveling to the U.S. to visit, study or do an internship? Once you’ve chosen your visa, you’ll need to fill out the DS-160 form, make an appointment at the U.S. consulate and pay the processing fee. You must bring your complete file to for the interview at the consulate. At the consulate, an officer will ask you questions about the reason for your trip to the United States. If all goes well, your visa will be delivered by mail to your home address within a few days.

Now you know more about security measures in the USA!