ESTA Guide for Tourists Coming to USA from Mexico or Canada

Foreign visitors can take steps to stay in the country lawfully before their visa or ETA expires. If you find out too after that your Canadian visa has expired, there are also ways to minimize the impact of exceeding the length of stay. This article contains a list of things that visitors to the USA from Mexico or Canada should pay attention to.

The online US visa can now be obtained by mobile phone, tablet or computer by e-mail, without the need to visit the local US Embassy. In addition, the US visa application form is simplified to be completed online on this website in less than 3 minutes.

If you have a current ESTA and this is your first entry across a land border

If you are a VWP traveler in this situation, you will need an approved ESTA. At the appropriate land border crossing, you enter the country in accordance with the rules for crossing the land border. In order to confirm that you are allowed to enter the USA under the VWP, your ESTA will be checked.

If you do not have a current ESTA and this is your first entry, this is done via a land border

If you do not have a valid esta authorization, you must apply for it and have it issued. You will not be allowed to enter the country if your ESTA is rejected. The processing of an ESTA application can take up to 72 hours.

If your passport contains a current stamp of a previous entry into the USA

Filling out a paper form I-94W is not required if you plan to return to the United States after a trip to Canada or Mexico lasting less than 30 days. Upon your arrival, your ESTA will be rechecked.

Note: Ferries between Victoria, British Columbia, and Vancouver, Washington are classified as land border crossings, so those traveling on one of these routes do not need to apply for an ESTA.

Do I have to fill out an I-94 form if I am not qualified for an ESTA?

Yes, in order to enter the USA by land, sea or air, visitors who do not meet the requirements or do not have an ESTA must obtain a visa.

Why did we introduce an ESTA instead of an I-94W paper?

With the introduction of the ESTA program, the Department of Homeland Security was able to waive the requirement that travelers from VWP countries must fill out an I-94W form before they are allowed to enter the United States.

Since then, CBP has switched to paperless processing for visitors from these countries who are in possession of an approved ESTA and arrive by land, sea or air.

Messages about a visitor’s esta status can be received and verified by most airlines as part of their boarding status. For this reason, we have integrated THE esta requirement for land arrivals.

When does a visitor need to apply for a visa instead of an esta?

In one of the following scenarios, visitors to the United States must first apply for a nonimmigrant visa before traveling:

• If you have not received an ESTA or are not qualified to apply for one.
• If your planned stay in the country lasts more than 90 days.
• If you intend to fly a non-signing airline to the USA.
• If there is reason to believe that you may not be allowed to enter the country in accordance with Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (a). In this scenario, you should apply for a nonimmigrant visa before traveling to the United States.
• If your visit to the country is not connected with a short trip or business stay.
• Will I receive an email notification when my ESTA expires?
• When your ESTA expires, an expiration notification will be sent to the email address you provided on the application form. You will be prompted in this email to go to the official ESTA website and submit a new application.

Your authorized ESTA is valid for multiple entries into the United States within a period of two (2) years. However, there are some exceptions to this generalization.

For example, if your passport expires before the 2-year deadline, your authorized ESTA will also expire and you will have to reapply.

My attempt to get an ESTA failed. How can I find out the reason?

The Department of Homeland Security created the ESTA program specifically to ensure that applicants who pose a security or law enforcement risk or are not eligible for the visa Waiver program will not receive a travel authorization.

Although there is a connection between the ESTA website and the travel repair application program operated by the Department of Homeland Security, there is no way to be sure that an applicant whose ESTA application has been denied will receive a refund or some other form of repair.

It is also important to know that consulates and embassies will not be able to explain why an ESTA was refused or to solve the problem that led to the refusal. However, consulates and embassies can consider an application for a nonimmigrant visa.

If this application is approved, it will be the only alternative for someone who wants to travel to the United States, but whose ESTA application has been rejected in order to continue to receive permission to do so.