Timeline for Is the US ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) a visa?

7 events

when toggle format	what		by	license	comment
Jun 16, 2020 at 10:18	history	edited	CommunityBot		Commonmark migration
May 6, 2019 at 19:05	comment	added	Zach Lipton		@gerrit I added the word visitor, since that's the equivalent of entering under the VWP. Diplomatic visas are a rare exception to the usual process and not relevant for most travelers.
May 6, 2019 at 19:03	history	edited	Zach Lipton	CC BY-SA 4.0	added 8 characters in body
May 6, 2019 at 13:17	comment	added	gerrit		@chintogtokh Sure, I'm not denying that it happens, but it's not universally true.
May 6, 2019 at 12:07	comment	added	toqta		@gerrit This is generally how it goes in high risk countries. As an example, a US tourist visa costs 160 USD in Mongolia, and requires: `a printed copy of your appointment letter, your DS-160 confirmation page, one recent photograph, your current passport and all old passports`, together with an in-person scheduled interview at the US embassy, where you cannot enter with any electronic devices (you need to surrender your phone, for example).
May 6, 2019 at 7:23	comment	added	gerrit		To get a US visa, you fill out a big long application, obtain various documents, show up in person for an interview, pay a fairly expensive fee, provide biometrics, wait a while, — I did not show up on person, did not have an interview, nor provide biometrics for my US A2 visa. If there was a fairly expensive fee then someone paid that on my behalf without my knowledge.
May 6, 2019 at 3:27	history	answered	Zach Lipton	CC BY-SA 4.0