Visa Waiver program, provides authorization to the citizens of member countries to travel to the US visa-free. It has made the US travel a lot more easy and convenient. But the countries included on VWP are very limited. It is because of the tight restrictions by the US Government for raveling to the USA. But VWP is adding more countries gradually each year and there is a possibility that more countries will be added to the program. 39 countries are members of this Visa Waiver Program.
What is ESTA antrag?
To strengthen the security of travel to the United States, requirements to travel under VWP visa-free are enhanced. Now, the citizens of the VWP member countries have to obtain approval for their travel to the United States. This authorization is commonly known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). ESTA antrag is an automated system that is used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the provision of the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA is not a visa and that is why it does not fulfill the legal requirements to serve instead of the US visa when there is an essential need for a visa.
Current member’s countries of VWP:
The member participant countries of this Visa Waiver Program are:
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Chile
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- The Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom
The Screening process:
There are few components of the process of becoming a VWP member:
- A country must be a trusted ally of the USA
- The country has to agree with the US to afford citizens traveling from the USA to their country
- The nominated country for VWP gets a nomination from an already member country and after receiving the nominations the bargaining begins. The nominating country takes responsibility for the new country.
Before considering a nominated country as a member state of VWP several things are considered like:
- No issues with the human rights accusation in the World court
- Willing to issue e-passports
- A proper system for reporting blank, lost, or stolen passports timely
- High-level standards for law enforcement, border control, and document security
- Willing to share information related to security with the US about law enforcement activities
The bright future of VWP:
Traveling security is becoming more important to the whole world that is why for sure more countries will be admitted into VWP and the future of ESTA antrag is on solid grounds as this ESTA application under Visa Waiver program affords travelers worldwide an amazing opportunity for almost documents free travel
