Documents to travel to the United States

If you are one of those who are attracted to wonders of naturein the USA there is no shortage National Parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite and Everglades. In addition, you will be able to admire the most beautiful beaches, lakes, rivers, grasslands, deserts, swamps and multiple landscapes that will take your breath away.

And if culture is your thing, there are plenty of reasons to travel to the United States. We are talking about the movie mecca and headquarters of most important museums of the planet. This is the country where the most talented artists in the execution of jazz, rock, pop and various musical genres.

America has it all and you can’t keep losing the opportunity to enjoy of all the wonders that await you. Cheer up to visit this destination, we assure you that you will not regret it; In fact, the higher risk Will you want to stay?

Necessary requirements to travel to the United States

If there is one element that characterizes this nation, it is its stringent immigration security. Therefore, when preparing your trip, you have to plan ahead the preparation of your documentation and ensure that it conforms to the demands of the authorities Americans.

So, pay attention to the requirements that we will mention below, so that you can organize your visit correctly:

• Passport. It must be valid for at least six months from the return to the place of origin or continuation to a third country. Likewise, it must have a minimum of two blank pages, and be in good condition. If the passport has stains, tears, holes, the personal data or the photograph cannot be seen, the passenger may be denied entry.
• Visa. It may need to be processed depending on the traveler’s nationality or the reasons for their visit. Foreigners who qualify to enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) will need to obtain an ESTA permit.
• International driving license. Some states require this document, as a mandatory requirement for foreign travelers. Others, for their part, recommend carrying it, since, if they were to be detained by the authorities, said certificate will facilitate the verification of their data. You can request it by going to: http://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html

One of the recommendations made by the US authorities is to obtain a copy of each of travel documents and take them too. In this way, if they lose their original papersabroad will have a backup.

In the same way, we advise you to hire a travel insurance with comprehensive coverage. The health services in the USA they are usually very expensive and, if you need them, you will appreciate having taken this recommendation into account.

ESTA travel permit | How to request it?

THIS is the acronym, in English, of the Electronic Travel Authorization System Developed by the United States Department of Homeland Security. This document was established in order to regulate the entry of foreigners who benefit from the visa waiver agreements.

But nevertheless, your approval does not guarantee that the person will be admitted into the country. This decision will correspond to the customs officials Y border securitywho will pronounce on the matter upon the arrival of the travellers.

Now, before starting the visa process, check if you can opt for ESTA authorization. For this, it is essential that you are a national or have obtained the citizenship of one of the designated countrieswhose list is available on the official portal of the Department of Consular Affairs: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html.

If you are a national or citizen of any of the countries benefiting from the VWP, then you can process the ESTA permit. Consequently, you will have to meet the requirements mentioned below:

• have a valid electronic passport for at least 90 days counted from the date of entry to the USA.
• Travel by tourism, business or in transit.
• Stay in the United States for a maximum of 90 days.
• own a air or sea transport ticket back and forth.
• Process the authorization through the only official web portal created for this purpose: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/?forceNav=true
• Pay 14 USD for the procedure. These can only be paid using a international credit card Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

People who have machine readable passports, they will not be able to make this request. If that is your case, we recommend you apply for a new one with the as far in advance as possibleso that you have enough time to get permission.

How to apply for the visitor visa?

people who want travel as touriststhey must choose a visitor visa Bwhich is assigned to all those who go from holidays, want to get together with family and friends, require medical treatment or they arrive in transit. In this case, the conditions for your request are:

• Complete the Nonimmigrant Form or Form DS-160which you can access by entering: https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/. Once you have done it, you will have to print it and take it to the consular interview.
• Attach to Form DS-160 a recent photographtaken in the last six months, whose dimensions are 2.2 cm x 3.5 cm and meets the other requirements detailed in the following web portal: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/photos.html
• $160 payment for processing fees. Depending on your nationality and if the visa is approved, an additional cost may be added for its issuance.

completed the online applicationthe next step is to attend the consular interview on the corresponding date. In said opportunity, you will have to go with the documents that are mentioned as condition:

• Original and valid passport.
• Form DS-160
• Receipt of payment of the processing fee.
• Documents evidencing the purpose of the trip.
• Proof of roots in the country of origin, showing the intention to leave the United States in a timely manner.
• Documents that demonstrate the ability to assume the costs of the trip.

Some people are excused from interviewsuch is the case of visitors under 13 years old or over 80 years of age. However, said decision will correspond to the office where the procedure is carried out.

If you require information, you will find more details on the official website of the Office of Consular Affairs of the US Department of Statewhich we indicate below: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html. Likewise, you can go to the nearest embassy or consulate.

Sanitary requirements established due to COVID-19

In the United States, there has been a high number of infections, since the start of the pandemic. For this reason, although the government does not establish exaggerated measuresit has shown great rigor in verifying compliance with the biosafety protocol designed for tourists.

Thus, those who want to enter the country as visitors will have to present the following documents:

• Vaccination certificate. Content of the personal data of the traveler, name of the entity that issues the card, manufacturer of the vaccine and date on which it was applied. It is essential that at least two weeks have elapsed since the scheme was completed.
• COVID screening test. All persons over 2 years of age must present a negative result before boarding the plane. It must be done within 24 hours prior to the flight.
• Certificate of recovery from COVID-19. People who have recently been infected could enter the country if they present a positive result of a test whose validity does not exceed 90 days. In addition, they must carry a letter issued by a licensed doctor, authorizing them to travel.

These conditions are applied in a general way to travelers and it is possible that, depending on their place of originare required Additional documents. If you want to check what the specific requirements are according to your country of origin, go to: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/COVID-19-Country-Specific-Information.html

We recommend that you keep up to date with the news that arises regarding the biosecurity measures applicable to tourists. If you want more information about the entry health standardsvisit the official website of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://espanol.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.