If You Have Attendees From Overseas, Get to Know ESTA

Meeting planners should get to know the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization program, says Helen Marano, director, tourism industries at the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism in Washington. ESTA requires that all international travelers coming to the United States from visa-waiver countries register in an online database before boarding a plane.

International travelers from the 35 visa-waiver countries have had to fill out an I-94W form before coming to the U.S. The form, which must be completed before each visit, asks where travelers are going, what they doing there, how long will they stay, and the country in which they claim citizenship. ESTA seeks to streamline that process by requiring that international travelers go to the ESTA Web site and fill out an application before coming to the United States by air or sea. If the application is approved, it is good for two years and can be renewed easily. Travelers no longer will be required to fill out an I-94W form before each trip.

The Department of Homeland Security introduced ESTA as a way to screen passengers in advance and improve security, Marano says.

ESTA went into effect on January 12, 2009, but it’s been a soft rollout, she says. Currently, customs officials are asking for both the I-94W form and the online ESTA application. If travelers arrive at the airport and have not filled out the ESTA application, they will be reminded to do so the next time. But soon, probably sometime in 2010, the I-94W forms will be phased out and the ESTA grace period will end. Travelers then won’t be allowed to travel to the U.S. until they complete the online ESTA form.

However, visitors from non-visa-waiver countries still will have to complete the I-94W.

Meeting planners should alert international members and attendees to these new regulations. Marano suggests posting reminders on conference home pages or registration Web pages. Planners also should provide a link to the ESTA Web site.

RSS Share

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2012 Penton Media Inc.


Acceptable Use Policy
blog comments powered by Disqus

Search 125,000+ Venues

Search Meeting Space

Find Event Venues with Cvent

The Meeting Planning Blog

Face2Face Latest Posts

Sign Up for Our Free E-Newsletters

Meetings Collaborative

Rate your experience with meeting venues and suppliers.

Facility / Hotel

 
Powered by: Meetings Collaborative
Aega Awards

Latest Webinar

Global Meetings: Risk Management A to Z
February 28 | 2p.m. EST

Organizations take on more risk than usual when booking meetings outside the U.S. Join our expert panelists and learn how to assess your overall risk, write contracts that protect your organization, manage currency exchange rate fluctuations, keep your travelers safe, and much more. View it on-demand now!

VIEW ALL ARCHIVED WEBINARS

Recent Comments

Powered by Disqus

Back to Top

Explore Our Newsletters


Meeting Planner Survival Guide

Whether you're a novice planner or a veteran, this compilation of must-read articles is your meeting planning resource.

Must-See Meeting Files

Visit the MeetingsNet expert-advice site, where we’ve got top meeting pros on camera answering a variety of your questions as well as a collection of educational—and sometimes offbeat—editors’ pick lists — from the top tech tools to the best books for meeting professionals.

Pharma Meeting Management Forum

8th Annual Pharmaceutical Meeting Management Forum
March 25-28, 2012 in Orlando, Fl
Register now!
Learn more about how healthcare reform will affect medical meetings.

Both forums are co-sponsored by Medical Meetings and The Center for Business Intelligence.

Suppliers/
Facilities/CVBs

MeetingsNet makes it easy to find the CVBs, tourist boards, and facilities you need for your next meeting.

Deal Finder

Special offers brought to you by MeetingsNet.

Find A Job

Targeted to all aspects of the hospitality and special events industry.

SMM PORTAL

Your source for Strategic Meetings Management info and intelligence

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   RSS Feed

Inside Current Issue

December AM

December 2011

October AM

October 2011

August AM

August 2011

April 2011

Feb 2011 AM

February 2011

Browse Back Issues