ESTA Equivalent for US Resident to Visit UK

[klfrodo]

Pre-pandemic, wasn't the UK going to institute a program for visitors to the UK to complete before arrival such as the ESTA program the US has for citizens of the UK?

 

I do recall that the plan was put on the back burner once the pandemic hit. Has the UK reinstituted the program?

If so, is there a link available?

Thanks

 

[cyntil8ing]

I don’t think UK is changing requirements, but Europe is scheduled to implement ETIAS next year.

[Cotswold Eagle]

There is little hard information about when the UK ETA will be introduced - the official line, as per the link below, is only that it will be fully operational by end 2024. I think I have read that initial trials next year will be for Gulf states. 

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-and-borders-bill-electronic-travel-authorisation-factsheet/nationality-and-borders-bill-electronic-travel-authorisation-factsheet

[Cotswold Eagle]

3 hours ago, cyntil8ing said:

I don’t think UK is changing requirements,

The UK is planning to introduce an Electronic Travel Authorisation over the next couple of years, as per the link I posted above. 

[John Bull]

The US ESTA  - and when they are implemented - the EU ETIAS and the UK equivalent are "visa waivers" and affect visitors who do not currently need a "proper" visa.

 

Visitors to the UK from some countries have for some time needed need a tourist visa, work visa, etc., and the same applies to those entering the USA, the EU, and most other countries. That will not change, they will still need a proper visa.

 

Covid has delayed implementation of EU and UK visa-wavers, the EU is planning to introduce the need in May next year and the UK in 2024.

 

When introduced they will be 🤞 as simple as visitors to the US getting their ESTA. 

On-line application to the official site (avoid the scammers who currently try to pass themselves off as part of Homeland Security and charge a fee), acceptance in seconds for most or a few days for some (happened to me, apparently name similar to a felon). then you can print it off.

And, as is the case with ESTAs, theoretically no need to carry a copy cos technology links it to your passport.  (Technophobes like JB carry hard copies of such things.)

 

More detail at https://traveltomorrow.com/eu-travelers-will-need-to-apply-apply-for-permission-to-travel-before-entering-the-uk/?fbclid=IwAR3i3wMAOM5ssVQLixHc2o01enBx_ffstCT5E_hQ0nr-ni0NzgLwHC-y-d8

(article based on travellers from the EU, but applies to all.)

 

JB 🙂

[Globaliser]

15 hours ago, klfrodo said:

Pre-pandemic, wasn't the UK going to institute a program for visitors to the UK to complete before arrival such as the ESTA program the US has for citizens of the UK?

 

The words "US Resident" in your thread title rang some alarm bells. Where you live is less important than what your nationality is. Make sure you first check the visa requirements for your nationality.

[klfrodo]

1 hour ago, Globaliser said:

 

The words "US Resident" in your thread title rang some alarm bells. Where you live is less important than what your nationality is. Make sure you first check the visa requirements for your nationality.

I thought of that also as I re-read after posting but let it slide. However, for accuracy, I should have said Citizen.

Thanks

 

[klfrodo]

So, my takeaway is probably no requirement for a UK ETA will most likely not be required for our visit to the UK in 2023.

 

However, the whole Brexit thing has me confused about the possibility of a day trip from London to Paris via EuroTrain. Would I need an EU ETIAS as a US Citizen traveling RT from London?

[Cotswold Eagle]

7 hours ago, klfrodo said:

However, the whole Brexit thing has me confused about the possibility of a day trip from London to Paris via EuroTrain. Would I need an EU ETIAS as a US Citizen traveling RT from London?

Yes. Where outside the Schengen Zone you are travelling from is irrelevant - all non-visa nationals, which includes US nationals, will require an ETIAS from May 2023.

 

It's Eurostar, not EuroTrain by the way 🙂 

Edited July 25, 2022 by Cotswold Eagle

[Cotswold Eagle]

9 hours ago, John Bull said:

The US ESTA  - and when they are implemented - the EU ETIAS and the UK equivalent are "visa waivers"

This is the wrong way round - they are travel authorities for non-visa nationals. You can't have a "visa waiver" if you don't need a visa in the first place 🙂 

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

This is the wrong way round - they are travel authorities for non-visa nationals. You can't have a "visa waiver" if you don't need a visa in the first place 🙂 

 

As illegal immigration and the movements of terrorists, criminals &  undesirables have increased over the years & decades, countries have been strengthening their gates. Visas were to be required for many more countries

But the US and then the EU and in due course the UK felt that for nationals of selected countries a simpler, cheaper and faster safeguard would be appropriate - what they have all chosen to call a "visa-waiver". Since they have many of the hallmarks of a visa, I don't chide folk who refer to ESTA or ETIAS "visas", but the governments call them visa-waivers.

 

But if you're right, my feathered friend, you'd best tell US Homeland Security and the European Union.

And mebbe forewarn HMG not to make the same mistake  😉

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta

https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-waiver-program/

https://www.etias.info/

https://www.etiasvisa.com/

https://www.etiasvisa.com/etias-requirements/uk-citizens

etc ad infinitum

 

JB 🙂

[Globaliser]

12 hours ago, John Bull said:

As illegal immigration and the movements of terrorists, criminals &  undesirables have increased over the years & decades, countries have been strengthening their gates. Visas were to be required for many more countries

But the US and then the EU and in due course the UK felt that for nationals of selected countries a simpler, cheaper and faster safeguard would be appropriate - what they have all chosen to call a "visa-waiver". Since they have many of the hallmarks of a visa, I don't chide folk who refer to ESTA or ETIAS "visas", but the governments call them visa-waivers.

 

This is (I think) technically correct for the USA, which has a system that requires visas for (just about) everyone and then waives that requirement in certain circumstances. So even under the old scheme of paper I-94s, the green one that British citizens (and many others) filled in was an I-94W, with the W standing for waiver.

 

The description "visa waiver" is incorrect for the travel authorisation schemes that both the EU and the UK are considering, for exactly the reason given by Cotswold Eagle: if you don't need a visa at all, there is nothing to waive. And they are certainly not "visas".

 

The EU itself describes the function of the ETIAS scheme as to "carry out pre-travel screening for security and migration risks of visa-exempt visitors". It also says "Non-EU nationals who do not need a visa to travel to the Schengen area will have to apply for a travel authorisation through the ETIAS system prior to their trip." There is nothing here that suggests that these authorisations "visa waivers".

 

The UK does not require a visa of US citizens coming for short tourist visits either, so any similar authorisation scheme would similarly not be a visa waiver.

 

12 hours ago, John Bull said:

https://www.etias.info/

https://www.etiasvisa.com/

https://www.etiasvisa.com/etias-requirements/uk-citizens

 

These are commercial websites and do not speak for the EU. The language that they use to describe the scheme can't be taken to be an official EU position.

 

The first says "Disclaimer: This website does not belong to, nor is it affiliated with, the EU. We aim to inform travelers about ETIAS and visiting Europe. The official website of the EU is europa.eu."

 

The second says "This website does not belong to, nor is it affiliated with, the EU. The official website of the European Union is europa.eu."

 

These websites will no doubt be turned in due course into portals that will charge you an arm and a leg for doing nothing other than passing on your application to the official website that charges only a small fee.

[John Bull]

15 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

 

 

43 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

 

Agreed, G., the EU doesn't (yet 😉) use the terms "visa" or "visa-waiver", it calls the up-coming ETIAS a "Travel Authorisation". Only when checking this out have I learned that ETIAS stands for "European Travel Information and Authorisation System".

 

The only official info I could find from the EU is at 

https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/smart-borders/european-travel-information-authorisation-system_en 

The objectives that it gives are the same as the objectives of the ESTA visa-waiver.

And BTW, that website mention a start date of November 2023, though I wouldn't put too much faith in that date.

 

But isn't this is all getting a bit pedantic, gents?

I'm not sure that this conversation is worth pursuing any further, because whatever one calls an ESTA or ETIAS is irrelevant to the traveller - if you need one you need one, even travel professionals use grammatically-incorrect terms for ESTAs & ETIASs, and checking out an ETIAS visa or ETIAS visa-waiver or ETIAS travel authorisation or just plain ESTA or ETIAS all lead to the same place. 

 

Far far more important is the OP's use of "US resident" rather than "US citizen", which does have a bearing on requirements

 

JB 🙂 

 

Edited July 26, 2022 by John Bull

[klfrodo]

In a desire to remove this from the courtroom and out of parliament, I wish to thank all of you for your valuable input.

I have received my answers.

[Globaliser]

20 hours ago, John Bull said:

But isn't this is all getting a bit pedantic, gents?

I'm not sure that this conversation is worth pursuing any further, because whatever one calls an ESTA or ETIAS is irrelevant to the traveller ...

 

'Twas not I who chose to disagree with Cotswold Eagle's accurate post. 😉

[John Bull]

3 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

'Twas not I who chose to disagree with Cotswold Eagle's accurate post. 😉

 

This is all getting very silly, and this is my final post about irrelevant phraseology.

 

It was the Eagle who chose to disagree with my use of "visa waiver", saying "You can't have a visa waiver if you don't need a visa in the first place" - and you concurred.  

 But nowadays to visit the States we Brits do need a visa waiver (the phraseology of US Homeland Security) even though we didn't need a visa in the first place.

And that makes perfect sense -  they're now being more careful about who they admit but they'll settle for a less-complex visa-waiver instead of a visa for citizen of "safe" countries.

 

Canada mentions UK citizens as "Visa-exempt (eTA eligible)", another phrase with the same meaning. 

 

True, the EU doesn't mention "visa waiver", it mentions only "travel authorisation", but that's the self-same phrase used in the acronyms ESTA as well as ETIAS and eTA and doubtless half-a-dozen more around the globe.

 

ETIAS doesn't exist yet, and I've yet to see a name for the proposed UK equivalent other than its acronym is likely to include ETA,  but I have little doubt that all will be referred to - rightly or wrongly - as visa-waivers.

 

But importantly it doesn't matter what they're called as long as people know whether they need one - and klfrodo must be laughing their socks off at this irrelevant little spat kicked-off by their simple question 🙃.

 

And as I said at the start, this is my final post about irrelevant phraseology.

 

JB 😋😉

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

But nowadays to visit the States we Brits do need a visa waiver (the phraseology of US Homeland Security) even though we didn't need a visa in the first place.

 

This is incorrect. We Brits did need a visa to go to the US until the introduction of its Visa Waiver Program. I have a good number of B-2 (tourist) visas in my old passports, and I have filled out my fair share of white I-94s over the years. When the VWP was introduced in July 1988, the need to get a B-2 (or other) visa for the US ceased, and the green I-94W was introduced.

[klfrodo]

Ya'll are sounding like 1st graders arguing about whose more right.

 

I got the answers. I thank all of you!

 

Don't prove Mark Twain as correct.

[Globaliser]

On 7/27/2022 at 4:25 PM, klfrodo said:

Ya'll are sounding like 1st graders arguing about whose more right.

 

"Who's", I think.

 

Don't blame me if people later start applying for the wrong thing because they don't understand whether or not they need a visa and what sort of authorisation they need to travel, or if they apply through commercial websites that have been wrongly cited here as official websites, or if they fall for confusion deliberately provoked by those websites about what they do and do not need, or if they therefore think that the official website doesn't give them what they need, or if they then get ripped off as a result.

 

Given the misuse of language by those proto-ripoff sites, and given the long history of similar things happening with electronic authorisations to travel to Australia and the USA, you can see all of this coming already.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Just to update this, the European Commission has put back the expected date for the start of the Etias travel authorisation scheme by six months to November 2023. There is a six month grace period in the Regulation, so in practice it is unlikely that travellers will require an Etias until sometime in 2024 at the earliest. 
 

https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/smart-borders/european-travel-information-authorisation-system_en

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

Just to update this, the European Commission has put back the expected date for the start of the Etias travel authorisation scheme by six months to November 2023. There is a six month grace period in the Regulation, so in practice it is unlikely that travellers will require an Etias until sometime in 2024 at the earliest. 
 

https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/smart-borders/european-travel-information-authorisation-system_en

I e-mailed that information to our TA as our cruise is in August 2023 and although it starts in the UK, then goes to several EU countries. His reply was that everything now is very fluid when it comes to rules and we should not even start looking at this kind of stuff until 6 months before the cruise.

[John Bull]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I e-mailed that information to our TA as our cruise is in August 2023 and although it starts in the UK, then goes to several EU countries. His reply was that everything now is very fluid when it comes to rules and we should not even start looking at this kind of stuff until 6 months before the cruise.

 

I concur with your TA.

 

JB 🙂

[ontheweb]

14 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

I concur with your TA.

 

JB 🙂

Yes, he is wise. It is one of the reasons (along with good prices and good service) that I like him. 😊

[Cotswold Eagle]

19 hours ago, ontheweb said:

His reply was that everything now is very fluid when it comes to rules

That's simply not the case - the Commission have officially announced it!

[John Bull]

4 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

That's simply not the case - the Commission have officially announced it!

 

Jeez, this thread is boring me silly.

 

Plans for ETIAS were approved by by the EC in 2016, and the start date planned as "early 2021".

Then January 2023

Eventually  it announced that the start date would be May 2023.

Hence the lack of confidence in the new date of Nov 2023.

 

You surely know, my feathered friend, that wheels grind slowly in governments - and even more slowly in conglomerations of governments. Dates get put back as regularly as estimated costs escalate.

But dates are rarely brought forward - and since ontheweb's travel starts in August the prospects are 99.99% certain that they won't need to worry. 

 

Check it out six months before you travel makes a lot of sense to me.

 

JB 🙂