ESTA form questions
Whether you are going to the United States for a leisure trip or for tourism, such as in New York, you need to fill out an ESTA questionnaire! This questionnaire has been required since January 12, 2009, and is used to reinforce security in the United States.
Eligible travelers from countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program are invited to complete this online questionnaire. Composed of several headings, it allows you to draw up a traveler’s identity card. They must fill in their name, current address, reasons for travel and even their passport number. In a second step, questions about his or her health status and behavior (criminal record, involvement in terrorist activities) are also to be completed.
Many travelers feel anxious about filling out an ESTA questionnaire, and for good reason: if it is not validated, a departure for the United States may be prevented or at least be the source of some complications.
Nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries can access the ESTA form online. It can be filled out in a few minutes and requires few documents, unlike the more complex US formalities.
To fill it correctly, make sure you have the following nearby:
- your passport ;
- your plane ticket ;
- your credit card (to pay the processing fee).
The different parts of the questionnaire
The 1st part concerns the traveler’s personal information
You will be asked for your full name, date and city of birth, gender, marital status, email address and your parents’ names.
In the 2nd step, please fill in the information about your passport and your stay.
To fill out this section, simply bring your passport: the information on the ESTA must be strictly similar. This information includes your full address, country and phone number. Please also indicate your passport number, country of issue, date of issue and expiration date, as well as the city where you will be boarding at the time of your trip.
Complete your ESTA form, indicating whether or not you are employed, and provide emergency contact information for someone inside or outside the United States.
Last part on the details of your health and behavior
You will find a series of 10 questions to answer with “yes” or “no”. Far from being incidental, they deserve your full attention because they concern your legal history, your health (contagious diseases) and your relationship to American law.
There is one last box to check, by which you certify that you have read and understood this form and formally waive the right to challenge the decision of the immigration officer upon your arrival in the United States. Your authorization to enter the U.S. will then be issued quickly.