Admin charge for Visa waiver Programme

News at Heathrow 17/05/2010

BA staff plan additional strikes : 2010 : New Technology to detect ash cloud

$10 charge introduced within months

The majority of British tourists will face a charge of $10 by the US authorities when entering the USA. An act passed in the US Congress has meant that under US law a charge must be levied, the charge is part of the Visa Waiver Program and will be introduced in the next four months.

The waiver scheme allows travellers from around 50 countries to enter the US without a visa who would enter with the I-94 waiver entry form. The new system requires visitors on the waiver program to apply online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) where they will be required to pay the $10 fee plus a “nominal” currency conversion charge.

The ESTA has been around for six months free of charge and 20 million people have applied for one and been approved, it is estimated that 25 per cent have been applied for British visitors. The approval rating is currently running at 99 per cent but can take anywhere from a few minutes to 72 hours. Airlines are fined a considerable sum if they bring passengers in to the US without the correct, completed paperwork. A percentage of the charge will go towards the administration costs and a small percentage will go towards the US tourist industry.

BA staff plan additional strikes : 2010 : New Technology to detect ash cloud

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