Reopening of the United States: almost ten months of waiting to obtain a tourist visa

This Monday, November 8, 2021 marks the reopening of the American borders to vaccinated travelers from around thirty countries, including France.

While the United States is once again open to a very large majority of foreign tourists, the rare people who are not eligible for the visa waiver program, and who therefore cannot obtain their electronic travel authorization (ESTA), will have to be very patient.

This applies to people who have traveled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen after March 1, 2011, or who have dual nationality (Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria only).

To discover

• Partner stay in the United States |

  17 days |

  Discovery of the Western Lands

In France, these travelers must apply for a tourist visa (B2) from the United States Embassy in Paris.

"

," indicates to

Colombia Barrosse, Consul General at the American Embassy in France.

The US Department of Foreign Affairs indicates on its site a processing time of 301 days at the embassy in Paris.

Student visa applications are processed as a priority (3 days only).

Read alsoThe United States reopens to travelers: all direct airline flights

What is ESTA USA?

It is a visa waiver giving the right to travel authorization to the United States for a maximum of 90 days.

The program is signed by 37 countries, including France.

To apply for ESTA, you must follow a simplified procedure on the official website.

Visa or ESTA required even in transit

On the other hand, no change is to be noted concerning the ESTA applications online. These electronic travel authorizations, valid for two years and billed at $ 14, are issued within 72 hours. And the authorizations issued less than two years ago still remain valid. Finally, do not worry if you receive a reason for refusal during the request; in most cases, a refused ESTA form is simply a poorly completed form. By inattention, you have undoubtedly entered information different from what is written on your passport.

Note that one or the other of these documents is required for travelers making a simple stopover in the United States, as for those going to French Polynesia and whose flights generally involve a stopover in Los Angeles.

Read also End of the “travel ban” in the United States: travelers and tour operators in the starting blocks

Rules may vary in some states

Other brakes may complicate certain travel conditions in the United States. If travelers arriving by plane must provide proof of vaccination as well as a screening test (PCR or antigen) of less than 72 hours, disparities may exist between states. Alaska, for example, does not require a drug test. In Hawaii, only drug tests certified by local authorities are accepted, and travelers must complete an online questionnaire before arrival. "

," recalls on its site the United States tourist office, which recommends checking the rules that apply in each state on a page dedicated.

Read also Entry requirements for travel to the United States from November 8