smartraveller.gov.au - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
It's a must see destination.
It's a must see destination.
The United States is changing its entry procedures for Australian passport holders visiting or transiting the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and has introduced an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). The program is voluntary until 12 January 2009 at which point, online completion is expected to become mandatory for all eligible VWP travellers to the United States.
The United States administers a strict entry regime and you may be refused entry, detained or deported on arrival if you don't comply with entry requirements. We strongly recommend you contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of the United States of America about your specific circumstances, well in advance of travel, including if you plan to transit the United States.
Australian passport holders may be eligible to be admitted to the United States for 90 days under the VWP. If you wish to work (including on journalism assignments), study, or stay for more than 90 days, you are not eligible for entry under the VWP and you must obtain a visa before travelling. For up-to-date visa information, you should review information contained on the following US Government websites before deciding whether to seek entry under the VWP or to apply for a visa:
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The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) is a new security measure under the VWP. The ESTA system is available on a voluntary basis from 1 August 2008 and is expected to be mandatory from 12 January 2009. To obtain a travel authorisation, each family member travelling is required to complete an ESTA application using the online system. The US government recommends that travellers use the online system no later than three days (72 hours) before departure– applications can be made after that but approval may not be received ahead of travel. The US government recommends you print out and keep with you a copy of your ESTA application response.
If your ESTA application is refused, you will need to apply for a visa for travel to the United States. Currently ESTA refusals are less than one half of a per cent. During the transition period from 1 August 2008 -11 January 2009, travellers who have obtained a valid ESTA travel authority will still need to complete the green form I-94W upon arrival in the US and surrender the bottom portion of the form when they leave. When the ESTA system becomes mandatory, passengers wishing to travel to the US will need to have either a valid ESTA travel authority or a valid visa.
The US government advises that each approved ESTA application will be valid for a period of two years, so a visitor may travel to the United States repeatedly within a two-year period without having to apply for another ESTA. Travellers whose ESTA applications are approved, but whose passport will expire in less than two years, will receive an ESTA that is valid until the passport’s expiration date. At the present time, there is not a fee for ESTA applications. In the same way that a valid visa does not constitute a determination of admissibility, an approved ESTA is not a guarantee of admissibility to the United States at a port of entry. In all cases, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers make admissibility determinations at US ports of entry or pre-clearance facilities. Online applications can be made at the ESTA website. Further information about ESTA can be found on the Department of Homeland Security website.
If you are travelling on your Australian passport, your passport does not need to be an ePassport for entry under the VWP, but it must be machine-readable. Australian passports that do not have two lines of 44 characters at the bottom of the personal particulars page are not machine-readable. To confirm whether your passport is machine-readable, please contact the Australian Passports Information Service on 131232 (within Australia).
Whether you are staying with family or friends or staying at a hotel, you will need to provide full details of a valid address in the United States when you check in for your flight. A five-digit zip code (post code) is required for all addresses. If you are a permanent resident of the United States, you will be asked for your Alien Registration Number and your country of normal residence. Further information, including examples of addresses if you are joining a cruise ship or touring by rental car, is available from US Customs and Border Protection.
Under the US-VISIT program, most visitors to the United States, including those seeking entry under the VWP, are required to have fingerprints scanned by an inkless device and to have a digital photograph taken on arrival.
Before clearing immigration on arrival in the United States, you are required to complete a white or green Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94 or Form I-94W): white if you have a visa, green if you are entering under VWP. You need to return the form to an airline or ship representative when departing the United States. It is usually taken at the time of check-in. Visitors are lawfully present in the United States only up to the date stamped on their Arrival-Departure Record, not the expiration date printed on the visa. If detected, visitors staying beyond the 90-day Visa Waiver Program limit or beyond the date stamped on their Arrival-Departure Record may be arrested and detained for up to seven weeks or more, deported and likely barred from re-entering the United States, possibly for life.
Where children are travelling alone or with one parent/guardian, we recommend you carry a notarised letter of consent for travel signed by the non-travelling parent(s) or guardian.
The Department of Homeland Security has streamlined the issue of certain short-term non-immigrant visas to people infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) who are otherwise qualified to enter the United States.
Australians with a criminal record (regardless of how minor or how long ago the offence took place) should ensure they seek advice about their visa requirements for entering or transiting the United States as they may be refused entry.
If you have any doubts about whether you are eligible to enter the United States under the VWP, or about visa matters generally, you are strongly advised to contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of the United States of America about your specific circumstances, well in advance of travel, including if you plan to transit the United States.
Please also read the following Questions & Answers provided by the US Government:
While every care has been taken in preparing this travel information for travellers, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees including any member of Australia's consular staff abroad, can accept liability for injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained therein.
