ESTA or Visa for the USA

In order to travel to the United States, it is necessary to obtain an ESTA or an American visa, such as the L1 visa or a B1 visa, B2 visa. An ESTA authorization is not a visa, it does not allow you to do the same things in the United States.

For a stay of less than 90 days in the United States: It is not necessary to apply for a visa. You can complete your formalities via the Internet in a few minutes by clicking on the online form.

The ESTA is an Electronic Travel Authorization issued by the United States and valid for 2 years for stays of less than 90 days.

ESTA is the easiest authorization to obtain

If you meet the criteria, we recommend that you apply for ESTA authorization. This electronic authorization is a visa waiver that can be obtained via the Internet. It simplifies the procedures and formalities to travel to the USA.

The requirements for ESTA eligibility are as follows:

A stay not exceeding 90 days;
Plan a trip for tourism or unpaid professional purposes;
Have a round trip ticket;
Have an electronic or biometric passport;
Be a citizen of one of the countries participating in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.

If you meet all of these requirements, you can apply for ESTA online and will receive a response within 72 hours. Compared to a visa, the ESTA form is much easier, faster and less expensive to obtain. The price of the ESTA can vary depending on the site and the services provided.

ESTA and VISA USA logos — Do I need an ESTA or a VISA for the USA

U.S. visa is required for certain trips

If your trip does not meet the criteria for an ESTA, you will have to take the necessary steps to obtain a US visa that corresponds to the characteristics of your stay. Unlike ESTA authorization, the process of issuing a visa is much longer and more complicated.

As an example, here are some existing Visa’s:

Business Travel Visa (B1);
US tourist visa for tourism (B2);
Student visa to study in the USA (F1);
Internship Visa to do a professional internship (J1);
Sports Visa for athletes and artists;
USA investor visa (E1 and E2).

You should know that there are many variations of the visa, as there are almost as many reasons to travel to the United States. In order to obtain one, you will need to contact the U.S. Embassy, which will provide you with information on the U.S. travel documents required to complete your application. Also be prepared to be interviewed at the U.S. Embassy.