Stars and gripes: the latest hurdle to entering the US
Taking liberties: Tourists are finding the US a land less than free ? if they're allowed to board the plane there, that is
Saturday July 19 2008
Irish travellers planning a trip to the US face another layer of red tape in the New Year. At least three days before they leave home, they will be required to fill in a questionnaire about themselves online.
At the moment, visitors fill in a green form during their flight which, if accepted on arrival, allows them to enter the country without a visa for up to 90 days.
From January 12, the same information must be provided in advance of flights so that US immigration can investigate prospective visitors with dubious backgrounds while they are still in their home country.
The new system affects the 27 countries that participate in the visa waiver programme, which covers 22 European states as well as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei and Singapore.
Citizens of these countries have the right to remain in the US for short periods of time without a visa.
The website for the new Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA -- see www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/travel/ id_visa/esta) goes live on August 1 to encourage travellers to sign up as soon as possible.
Visitors must hand over biographical data including name, birth date and passport number, and answer a series of questions about communicable diseases, convictions and any previous run-ins they may have had with US immigration.
Under the current regime, unwelcome visitors are put on the next plane home but when the new system comes into force, they won't be allowed board their US-bound flight at all.
The Department of Homeland Security believes the measure will increase security on US-bound planes but there have been claims that it is a reaction to the perceived growth in Islamic fundamentalists living in European states, who can access the US easily.
And just when you thought the Land of the Free couldn't get any more controlling, a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security has suggested that all travellers entering the US should wear a so-called 'safety bracelet' which doubles as a stun device.
The electronic ID bracelet would replace the traditional boarding pass and contain personal information about the traveller, which could be scanned at a second's notice.
It would also allow officials to monitor the whereabouts of passengers and their luggage at any time, and, if need be, shock the wearer on command, immobilising them for several minutes.
- Gemma O'Doherty
