Something to take note of.
Anyone who is heading off on their holliers to the United States soon should be advised that they could face problems with their Electornic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) applications.
Irish citizens are eligible to travel to the United States on the Visa Waiver Programme, which means no visa is necessary for entry. However, Irish citizens do need an ESTA, which can be obtained online for $14, and lasts for two years.
However, this week, the ESTA website is undergoing maintenance in a way that could affect ongoing applications. If you’re in the middle of an application when the update happens, your application will be archived you’ll have to reapply.
In a warning posted atop the ESTA website, it reads: “The ESTA website will be updated on August 5, 2019. All ESTA applications that are in a pending payment status at the time of the update will be archived.
“Applicants impacted will have to reapply after the update is complete. Citizens of participating Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries traveling to the United States are strongly encouraged to apply for an ESTA at the time of booking their trip and no later than 72 hours prior to departure.”
This could affect anyone who’s planning to head across the Atlantic in the next week or so. Best to stay on top of it — Donald Trump doesn’t need much of an excuse to keep anybody out.
You can apply for your ESTA here.
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