Of course, you need to complete and fulfil various formalities and must have the requisite documents, if you wish to travel overseas. It is because every country has certain rules and regulations and they check all the visitors for their eligibility and also to ensure security of all the concerned. Generally, a valid passport and visa are the major requirements for travelling overseas. However, some countries have additional requirements too. As an instance, you need to obtain ESTA visa through ESTA America application if you are travelling to the US under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). It is true for all the countries included in the VWP. Though most people get this visa however confusion is still there about usefulness and validity of this distinct visa type. Many people question if ESTA visa assures guaranteed entry into the US without facing any problems. Well, we are discussing some points in the current article to answer this question and also clear some other common doubts that are raised by many travellers. Keep reading.
ESTA is different from travel visa
Contrary to popular belief that ESTA is same as the normal travel visa obtained and possessed by most travellers during travelling to the US, ESTA is not the same document as a visa. Rather it is an additional document that is granted to the travellers travelling under the Visa Waiver Program. Hence it acts as an extra security check to ensure that the travellers travelling from the countries under the VWP are completely eligible to travel inside the boundaries of US.
ESTA is an approval for travelling and not entry
It is worth noting that you become eligible to travel to the US or any of its territories by applying for the ESTA America application and getting the same approved from the concerned officials. In simple words, it is a document that validates your travelling into the US but not your entry. It means you may still be denied entry into the US by the relevant officials even if you have an approved ESTA. The denial may be due to any other reasons.
ESTA is meant to safeguard the country and the residents against any threats
The main purpose of putting ESTA America application into practice for the people travelling from VWP countries is to safeguard the US and its residents against any threats from the people coming from foreign lands. That is why the travellers have to undergo a complete security check by answering questions related to their overall health, resident history, police records, travel plans and other personal information. The ESTA visa is approved only if the concerned officials are absolutely satisfied that the applicants are safe in all respects and no threats may arise to their country and its citizens due to travelling of the foreign nationals from the VWP countries. Even after getting ESTA by undergoing such security checks, the applicants may still be rejected for their entry based on other factors.
To conclude, ESTA visa is just an additional security check for hassle-free travelling into the US. But it is distinct from a regular travel visa.