Do you want to go to the US – All you need to know about ESTA USA
Today we are talking about the conditions of entry and residence for the United States of America. Here’s what you need to know before you go the promised land.
Entry into the United States can usually take place only on the basis of a valid passport in which a valid entry visa issued by an American diplomatic or consular mission abroad was applied. Find out more at www.estavisa.cz. Entry to the US may also be made on the basis of the permanent residence card (green card) accompanied by the valid national passport. Other documents accepted at the US entry are the re-entry permit or the refugee travel document, both issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security.
Border checks are carried out at all border crossing points (airports, ports, docks) and consists of examining travel documents (passport and visa) and a short interview to verify the purpose and duration of the permit in the USA.
As of January 5, 2004, the US-Visit program was introduced, based on which all passengers between the ages of 14 and 79 are subject to fingerprinting and digital capture when carrying out US border control.
Passenger Name Record (PNR)
American law requires airlines flying in and out of the United States to provide the US Department of Homeland Security, Customs Bureau and Border Protection, personal passenger information, known as the “Passenger Name Record (PNR ).”
The purpose of requesting information is to prevent and combat terrorism and other transnational crime.
The information is collected through travel booking agencies and sent to the American side at the time of booking the flight ticket. PNR is mandatory for all operators to and from the United States of America.
For reasons of security and public security, PNR may be transmitted, as appropriate, to US anti-terrorism and national security institutions. Personal information of passengers is confidential and protected by law.
At EU level, the agreement on the processing and transfer of personal passenger data to the Washington Homeland Security Department via air carriers was concluded. See this.
The PNR obtained as a result of flights on the US-European Union round-trip will be kept and stocked for seven years and inactive for eight years. For specific situations, the PNR may be stored until the date of archiving the information for which it was requested and obtained.
Interested parties may request access to their PNR, subject to specific administrative procedures in such situations. The contact details of the competent US authority are Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Officials carrying out border crossing control have full authority under American law to refuse entry to the US even if they present valid travel documents if, following the check, there is an inconsistency between the reason stated by the traveler at the time of obtaining the visa and the reason for entering the US.
All persons traveling to the United States should present the entry form at the time of the border crossing check. This statement is made available to travelers by all airlines and shipping companies while traveling to the United States.
American authorities prohibit the introduction into the US of food of any kind (vegetal or animal) and if it exists, it must be declared (form 6059B) and handed over to customs officials. Failure to report and finding such products in luggage entails their confiscation and the obligation to pay a fine.
If you are a citizen of a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program but are not eligible to travel to the United States under this program, you will need to apply for a temporary visa at least three months before the approximate travel date. If travel plans are not urgent, you will have to pay the visa fee, complete the DS-160 form on the ceac.state.gov/genniv website and schedule the visa application interview.
Check this out for more information on travel restrictions under the Visa Waiver Program: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Waiver_Program
If travel plans are imminent, you can request an emergency appointment. Please include the date and the purpose of the trip as well as a copy of the message received from the Customs and Border Protection Service regarding the ESTA status.