When it comes to applying for a visa, one of the things I absolutely hate is bureaucracy.
Jumping through hoops just to visit a country is nobody's favorite activity, and we have had many irritating visa experiences around the world that would make even the most seasoned traveler shudder.
As much as I would want to complain about our past experiences getting a visa to visit a far-flung country, it occurred to me that non-US citizens wanting to visit the USA have troubles that are far worse than our own when going abroad.
So I looked into it, and it is true- we are among the worst visa offenders out there.
For Visitors from Select Countries, It Gets Better
Luckily, the United States has rolled out a few programs in recent years that make visiting our country easier for select passport holders.
One of these is the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) that allows citizens of roughly 40 countries visa-free entry into the USA if their itinerary falls into select requirements- notably visits under 90 days in duration that are for business or pleasure only.
As easy as this sounds, you unfortunately cannot just show up to a border and be granted entry as you can do in many other countries around the world. The USA has an online system called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) that all foreign visitors under the VWP must receive approval through.
Navigating the ESTA Application
The ESTA system involves an online application that must be filled out a minimum of 72 hours in advance of travel, but can be submitted as far as two years in advance (the maximum validity period of the approval).
This process should be simple, and is estimated to take 20 minutes; however, the real struggle of the approval process is that it is a one-time shot.
If you are denied on this application, you will be denied access to the VWP and will have to apply for a more formal visa (and deal with all the headaches that go with it). For those who have a mastery of the English language and have applied for visas to other countries in the past this should not be a problem; for others, not so much.
Luckily, other services, like ESTAs, have come about which offer personalized application services to ensure you can get approved the first time.
I've used services like these in the past, mostly for obtaining dedicated visas (not online approval like ESTAs), and find the services to be invaluable in situations where I have no alternative choices to process my application.
ESTA, for example, is all about making the process simple. I looked around both the official USA waiver page as well as the ESTAs website and there is a night and day difference.
The USA's page looks, well, like a bureaucratic mess that leaves you with more questions than answers.
The ESTA application page is the exact opposite, and in very clear and concise wording they summarize every little situation you may ever run into- with an extensive selection of images to highlight some of the specific details, too.
For those who are unsure about what to look for in the application process and want to make sure it is perfect, this one is definitely for you.
The best part is that unlike the application for a waiver on the official site, which is on you, the ESTAs service even offers personalized assistance so an application professional will walk you through every step of the way.
The service may not be for everyone, but I can certainly see a large number of people benefiting from this opportunity.
Had this been available to us in other countries we visited in the past that had such excessive hurdles to get through to apply for our own entry approvals, I'm sure we would have jumped on it.
