Travel Tip: New Rules for Travelers to the U.S.
If you are a non-U.S. citizen traveling to the United States for business or pleasure (maybe for an upcoming Early to Rise conference), be advised that the rules have changed. The Department of Homeland Security now requires all visitors from the 38 countries that do not require visas (including the United Kingdom, France, and Japan) to obtain authorization at least 72 hours before they travel.
You submit your application for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) online. The system then checks your information against law enforcement databases to determine whether you are a threat to the U.S. According to government sources, 99.6 percent of applications are approved, most of them within seconds.
For more information, go to esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
(Source: Consumerist and Department of Homeland Security)
i’m from Canada, do I need an ESTA everytime I go to the US