Comments on: U.S. visitors required to register online

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is mandating online registration for travelers from most Western European countries who wish to enter the United States.

[scdecade]

Why are the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security two different departements? Has anyone else thought about that? If DHS is in change of domestic security what is DoD in charge of? Of course, George Orwell has given us the answer. DoD is really the department of "offense" and DHS is the department of "internal suspicion and control." Rejoice and enjoy your slavery, oops, I mean citizenship.

[sythara]

Because DHS is a cabinet of the Federal Government and DoD is part of the Executive Branch. Would you really want executive branch control over DHS?

[lixpaulian]

The USA are unique. No other country went so far. I will never fly again to the States until they get rid of such idiodic ideas.

an guy from Europe

[bdsakx]

That idiotic idea is necessary because we ARE unique. I don't know from where in Europe you're from, but because so much goes in and out of the USA, I'm surprised we don't do more. Nobody is making you fly here, but I'd understand and expect the same if I had to go to your country. After all, this is 2009, and why using technology to its advantage is merely being progressive.

[lixpaulian]

@bdsakx: this has nothing to do with technology: if you want to come to Europe, just fly here, you need to do nothing at all. You're free to come (if you're from the States, of course). So what gives?

[professionaladventurer]

Not to sound to American or anything; Good luck with that, we will try not to miss you.

[JoeF2]

@professionaladventurer
Actually, the tourism industry in the US needs visitors from Europe. It is very shortsighted to make these visitors jump to lots of hoops. It will only hurt the US economy, and that's the last thing we need right now.

[professionaladventurer]

You don't seriously believe that euros will stop coming to the US because people have to register online with DHS? There are a lot of other steps involved in travel, this is just a little one. NO ONE will NOT go to the place they really really want to visit just because of an online form with a government agency. I have had to send visa requests to embassy's far away with cash and wait for an approval to come in the mail before I went to their S-hole african country, but I still went. Euros are far fussyer then Americans when it comes to this kind of stuff and people blow up cafes and markets to repay them for lax security.

[lordmorgul]

Jump through hoops?? This is not jumping through hoops, it is far simpler than the previous paperwork... you can do it online from anywhere, and you can do it up to 2 years ahead of time (which frankly is absurd).

[JoeF2]

@professionaladventurer
You may have traveled to other countries, but obviously not to Europe. Americans can just hop on a plane to Europe, at a moment's notice. And up until now, Western Europeans could do the same. Just buy a ticket, and be on the plane in another hour or so. With this change, that's not possible anymore.
So, Europeans will still do the same thing, hop on a plane for the weekend, but the destination will be in Europe instead of NYC. Goodbye, US tourism industry...

[mbenedict]

Poor comments so far.

Most countries in the world require advance Visas for almost everyone. From Brazil to Russia to India to China, all require advance Visas for tourist entry. EU countries similarly require advance Visas from citizens of most countries. Often one must come to the embassy or consulate in person, and many times they need to hold on to your passport for days during processing, which is a big hassle if you're planning to travel to multiple countries. Plus it's not free, with some multiple-entry visas costing hundreds of dollars.

Instead, with the ESTA scheme, the majority of visitors to the US only have to register online, for free. That's much convenient for visitors.

[lixpaulian]

As an American you don't need a visa to come in an EU country. Just a stamp in your passport at arrival.

[xcal78]

If people can't do something this simple then they don't deserve to be here. People like lixpaulian will eventually do it because that's how life works. I fill out more paperwork to go on a cruise then what they as asking of people. If you can't go online and fill out a form that might take 30 mins sometime before your trip then don't come here. You can do it up to 2 years in advance so when it's a commerical durning the football game do the paperwork.

[lixpaulian]

It's not because I can't do it, but because why should I do it? it's an useless waste of time. just plain bureaucracy. The final result will be increased isolation of the USA.

[lordmorgul]

Clearing someone for travel to the US up to 2 years before they are coming is way too long. To require this be done within 60 days of travel should be more than adequate... because if someone cannot manage a few minutes filling out an online form that close to their travel date then I know they are busy enough to have secretaries who can do it for them.

[Tom400C]

Don't know what the big deal is... It took me only a few minutes and I'm good to go till january 2011. And when, in a few months (?) ESTA replaces filling out the I-94 form that's only positive as well, no? Anyway, San Francisco, here I come :-)

[imacpwr]

Homeland Security's new catch phrase, in search of TMD's....??? (Tourists of Mass Destruction).

[ajbright]

No this isn't a big deal compared to what awaits a traveler from Europe once they reach the US. That is far more likely to end any desire the traveler has to come back.

I'd like to see what Americans would do if they were required to line up for an hour to get questioned, fingerprinted and have any device capable of carrying data (laptops, iPods) searched and the contents sometimes copied by a foreign security officer.

Sorry but there are far more affordable places to visit that don't treat every tourist like a criminal and rip off the contents of their hard disks.

Of course most Americans have no idea how much money is put into their local economies by foreign tourism. I'm sure that's just what you need right now, more unemployment and businesses going to the wall.

Oh and these policies have only come into play over the last year, there hasn't been time yet for the impact of treating your visitors this way to strike home. Pretty much every one I know in the UK that went to the US last year has said that was their last visit.

[paulej]

People are right to say that it will result in a decline in visitors. This is not speculation, but fact. Not everybody will stop coming, but many will.

I chair a committee that works on international communication standards. Since the US started implementing that finger printing system and taking forever to process visas for people from certain countries, we have all but stopped holding meetings in the United States. We can meet anywhere in the world and find that almost any country makes for a better place to go.

Further, I really doubt whether these security measures will help at all. Who from Western Europe, after all, would the US consider a problem? And, would they not already know that based on the name and country of the passport? What information not provided via the passport would help? I'm curious to know exactly what questions would possibly help improve security.

Having said that, I'd love to have something to replace the stupid customs forms I have to fill out every time I come home. I am sure they will never do away with those, since the government wants to charge you a tax and ask you whether you're bringing in raw meat and such.

[Dalkorian]

Silly person, it's not about improving security but improving the ILLUSION of security.

Papers please.

[tecmic]

I don't appreciate what is so special about the USA that justifies such intrusive collection of personal data. Ok, you were hit where it hurts, not funny but many of the worlds nations have extensive experience of that scenario and still don't find it necessary to treat visitors like criminals.

I don't want my own government to collect and store personal data do I'm certainly not allowing a foreign government to do it!

[hauteroute]

NileGuide recently blogged about this subject at http://blog.nileguide.com/2009/01/12/electronic-system-for-travel-authorization-begins-today/

[BusinessTravel101]

This system will no doubt have an impact in inward tourism into the United Stated.

This may be hard for proud Americans to understand.

How many companies will take on the extra logistics of making sure all their delegates complete an ESTA, or risk them being sent home?

How many Business Travel Agents will drum up Business for the States knowing they will get the blame if a passenger is declined entry?

British Airways is already expecting traffic to the States to drop a massive 60%!!

And I bet you all a Thousand Dollars - It won't be long before the US starts to Charge $$'s for this!

And when this happens then you can sound the death toll for much of the US travel trade - But hey, Americans love to stay at home anyways - just means they can share their country with Canadians, Mexicans and numerous South Americans, not the French, British, Germans, Japanese ect.