Would you like to discover the United States of America with your family? If you’re planning a trip of no more than 90 days, and all your family members are French nationals, or of a nationality recognized by the Visa Waiver Program, save time and apply for a group ESTA!
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How does an ESTA family application work?
ESTA in a nutshell
The rules for obtaining ESTA are the same for both individual and group applications. Each member of the group must therefore be eligible for ESTA to hope to obtain travel authorization. This includes children.
ESTA is an official authorization introduced by the US government to protect the country from terrorist threats and illegal immigration under the Visa Waiver Program. The American aim is to protect its homeland security while continuing to welcome large numbers of visitors.
Family travel
The ESTA is a simple administrative formality: online application via a form to be filled in, online response on the same site within 72 hours, and authorization electronically linked to the passport number. This concern for simplicity is also reflected in the possibility of making a group application, including 2 to 50 applications in one.
Group applications can be made for families, friends or groups of travelers. The main advantage is that all applications are paid for at once, and a mother, for example, can fill in the ESTA form for her children. Note that minors are not entitled to apply for ESTA on their own. The only condition is that the group’s representative must be over 18. Of course, we also need to know the details of all travelers: marital status, contact details, employment, passport data, state of health, criminal record, etc.
How do I obtain ESTA family authorization?
The procedure for requesting ESTA authorization for a family is the same as for a single person. Simply go to the official U.S. government site or a private site and specify that you wish to make a group application.
The person responsible for the group application will then need the biometric or electric passport of each family member in order to complete the online form correctly. One ESTA form is required per person.
Is a group application all or nothing?
Once a family has applied for ESTA authorization, each application is processed individually. Each ESTA authorization is linked to an electronic or biometric passport. What’s more, the ESTA is issued for a maximum period of 2 years. The American authorities do not expect you to travel with the same people all the time.
So there’s no question of an all-or-nothing solution. It is quite possible that certain family members will be refused ESTA. It remains to be determined whether this is due to an error on the form, in which case a new application can be made, or to failure to meet an admission condition. If a family member is not eligible, he or she will have to apply for a visa through the consular services of the nearest American embassy.
How can I reuse an ESTA application for my family?
If you’d like to repeat the experience of staying in the United States, whether for a road trip in the American West or a trip to New York, no problem. As mentioned, each application is independent. The ESTA is valid for tourist and business travel of less than 90 days by air or sea. It is also required for transit on American soil.
To check that your ESTA is still valid, you can retrieve your file on the official website by entering your application number or, if you don’t know, your passport number, country of issue, issue date, expiry date and date of birth.
The ESTA loses its validity if you change your passport. So remember to reapply with your new passport details before you travel to the USA.