Would you like to stroll the beaches of Miami Beach, live life at 100 km/h in New York City or take a road trip through the American West via the legendary Route 66? To help you live your American dream, we present the formalities for entering the USA.
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Travelling to the United States: formalities
In order to travel to the United States, the U.S. government expects travelers to present the necessary travel documents.
Valid passport
A passport is essential for travel outside the Schengen area. So, having a passport is the first step in complying with U.S. entry formalities.
The American authorities only accept travelers with an electronic or biometric passport. The French passport issued is a biometric passport. If you have an electronic passport, check its expiry date, as biometric passports were introduced in France in June 2009.
Travel authorization
All travel to the United States requires prior authorization. This may be an ESTA or a USA visa. These authorizations must be obtained before leaving for the USA, and are an essential entry formality.
ESTA
ESTA is an electronic travel authorization (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) introduced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to secure arrivals on U.S. soil as part of the Visa Waiver Program. This program provides visa-free travel for foreign nationals who are members of the program.
As a security measure, ESTA is subject to specific conditions. To apply for ESTA, you must :
- be a national of one of the 41 VWP signatory countries;
- have a valid passport ;
- travel to the USA for tourism, business or a stopover;
- stay in the United States for up to 90 days;
- travel to the USA by air or sea;
- not pose a risk to US national security.
To apply for ESTA authorization, you need to fill in a form that will be processed by electronic systems created specifically for this purpose. The online form can be found on the official U.S. government website, but you can also enlist the help of a specialist by applying on a private website. The US embassy will not be able to help you with this process, so there’s no need to contact consular services. Once you’ve completed and submitted the ESTA form, you’ll receive a reply from the American authorities within 72 hours. If the authorization is approved, the ESTA will be electronically linked to your passport number.
The validity of the ESTA depends on the validity of the passport, but cannot exceed 2 years. A new passport requires a new ESTA application.
U.S. visa
For French nationals, the reason for requesting a visa is usually either the impossibility of obtaining an ESTA, or the nature of the stay in the USA.
The U.S. government has introduced a visa for every type of stay, whether you’re looking to work in the U.S., do an internship, study at an American university, or whatever. There are two types of visa: non-immigrant visas for temporary stays, and immigrant visas, also known as Green Cards or Permanent Resident Cards, for those wishing to emigrate to the USA.
As for how to obtain a USA visa, it’s simple: to apply for a visa, you need to make an appointment at the American embassy to present your application file, including the necessary supporting documents and the visa application form. We invite you to visit the U.S. Embassy website to begin the process.
Travelling to the USA: clearing customs
Passports and travel authorizations are essential before you even set sail. Once in the USA, there’s one last entry formality before you can enjoy your vacation: clearing customs.
Entering the U.S. is the responsibility of the immigration officer. It’s his job not only to check that your entry is in order, but also to determine that your departure is on schedule. Chances are, he or she will ask to see your ticket for leaving the country: your round-trip ticket, if you’re returning home, or your onward ticket to your final destination, if you’re in transit or traveling to a foreign country.
The customs officer may also ask you a few simple questions about your stay in the USA: where you’re staying, why you’re here, places you’d like to visit in the USA, and so on.