GOING TO THE USA FOR MORE THAN 90 DAYS WITH ESTA
Go on an adventure and travel to the United States without applying for a visa, it’s possible thanks to ESTA ! But you cannot stay forever on American soil. The time allowed for a stay in the USA with ESTA is 90 days maximum; is it still possible to go beyond?
First, we will explain how to benefit from the ESTA authorization and then, we will see if it is possible to stay longer on American soil.
90 CONSECUTIVE DAYS MAXIMUM WITH ESTA
The ESTA or Electronic System for Travel Authorization is part of the visa waiver program. If you are French or a national of one of the 38 member countries of the Visa Waiver Program, you may be able to request an ESTA authorization . Find the list of all participating countries below:
Germany, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, South Korea, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan.
To obtain an ESTA, you must also have a valid passport (electronic passport or biometric passport), travel by sea or by air and finally organize a stay in the United States (tourist trip, business trip or transit ) 90 days maximum.
When you request ESTA, you will be asked to confirm your travel dates (round trip) so that the American authorities ensure that you do not plan to stay longer in their country.
The maximum duration of your trip to the USA is 90 days maximum with ESTA; however, you can renew your trip multiple times, as the ESTA is valid for two years.
To request your 90-day ESTA document, you can go to the official government website and submit your request using an online form. Private sites like that of our partner on demande-esta.com offer to make the request for you. A person will be in charge of filling out the ESTA form with particular care.
WHAT IS THE RISK IF YOU STAY MORE THAN THREE MONTHS WITH ESTA AUTHORIZATION?
As a reminder, an ESTA does not allow travelers to live in the USA, study in a large American university or work there. In addition, if the 90-day period is exceeded, it can get you in trouble, you must absolutely be out of the country after this time.
Why could you not have left the United States?
- The beaches of Florida, the aerial views of the Grand Canyon or the wine of Napa Valley have made you forget everyday life? We always believe that this only happens to others, but it is a situation that occurs more often than we think;
- your stay ends after 90 days and you unfortunately missed your plane or your boat;
- you just want to travel to the U.S. longer.
All of these situations can put you on the spot. In fact, by exceeding the 90 days authorized by ESTA, you have illegal immigration status for the United States government.
In general, the American authorities do not take this lightly. You can therefore say goodbye to your future trips to the United States of America, whether via an ESTA or a USA visa. You may even be arrested or deported.
If you cannot leave the American territory because you are hospitalized, keep all the evidence of this situation (hospital invoice with dates for example), the American authorities may be more lenient in a special case.
In conclusion: do not play with fire, if you think that 90 consecutive days of ESTA are not enough for your trip, turn instead to a visa application at the US embassy or consulate. Going to the United States on a U.S. visa costs roughly $ 150 and requires a longer turnaround time, but you can stay longer than the three months authorized by ESTA.