British air travellers to US face possible flight ban

Many thousands of UK travellers to the US are at risk of being turned away from their flights if they do not comply with new online border control requirements in advance.

In one week’s time, the US is making it compulsory for air passengers flying to the US on the visa waiver programme to apply for a special clearance online, before beginning their trip.

Beginning 12 January, all travellers from the 30 countries participating in the US visa waiver programme, which includes Britain, must register online via the new electronic authorization system and receive a number before they are allowed to board flights bound for the US.

At this time, officials estimate that only around half of those who are eligible to travel visa-free have registered.

The latest data from the US Customs and Border Protection office show an average of 3,700 British travellers signing up per day, which is around half the number of UK travellers flying to the US for holidays and business purposes.

Customs and Border Protection officials have also confirmed that of the four million visits to the US each year, fewer than a quarter million persons have registered on the online Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), which has been introduced as a replacement for the green visa waiver form.

So far, there have been only around 830,000 applications submitted online by travellers from visa waiver countries, raising concerns about the number of passengers who will be turned away from their flights for not having the proper clearance.

www.cbp.gov/esta