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If you are planning to go to the United States, there are certain things you definitely need to know in order to avoid the risk of leaving without everything you require. We are referring, in particular, to the travel documents.
If you intend to travel to the United States for business or tourism, you can take advantage of the Visa Waiver Program, that is, travel without a visa.
To take advantage of the program travelers must:
– Travel exclusively for business and/or tourism purposes
– Stay in the United States for no more than 90 days
– Be in possession of a round-trip ticket
To travel under the Visa Waiver Program, you must request an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) prior to boarding the means of transportation you have decided to travel with, whether it be a plane or a ship. The ESTA is issued online by the US authorities, and is subject to a fee which can also be paid online.
The mandatory requirement for obtaining the ESTA is possession of an electronic passport, i.e. a passport which has a microchip inserted in the front cover.
If you do not meet even just one of the requirements listed above for the Visa Waiver Program, you must apply for a visa.
Since April 1, 2016, only electronic passports are valid for traveling to the US under the Visa Waiver Program. These passports have a 9-digit serial number formed of 2 letters and 7 numbers (the first ones issued belong to the AA series).
As of May 25, 2010, the electronic passport also contains the owner’s fingerprints in the microchip, but you can travel under the Visa Waiver Program on an electronic passport without fingerprints provided that it has not expired and will be valid until your return.
In order to qualify for the Visa Waiver Program, under-age travelers must be in possession of an individual passport.
Warning: Failure to depart the U.S. within 90 days will compromise the possibility of using the Visa Waiver Program again.
Anyone who has traveled to Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Iran and Iraq after March 1, 2011 must apply for a US visa, since they cannot apply for ESTA. If you traveled there for official reasons after March 1, you can apply for ESTA by answering questions about your trip to one of the seven countries referred to above. If your ESTA application is denied, you will have to apply for a US visa.
For more information and for special cases not listed in this article, please contact the US Embassy directly to verify what documents you need in order to travel. Here is the site: http://italian.italy.usembassy.gov/.
If all your documents are in order and you have chosen your destination in the USA, here are some suggestions for finding the baggage best suited to your needs and which meets specific requirements for travel to the United States: https://www.roncato.com/en/pl /valigie/p7,1/tsa-system.html.
These suitcases all have the TSA system, the security lock that customs officers can open to inspect the contents: a mandatory requirement for baggage entering the US.
