May 21, 2010
The Department of Homeland Security announced that the use of paper I-94W forms will be eliminated for Visa Waiver Program (VWP) travelers with an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) by the end of the summer. An ESTA pre-authorizes multiple trips to the U.S. for up to two years. The ESTA became mandatory on January 12, 2009 for all nationals of VWP countries prior to boarding an carrier for travel to the United States. The biographical data, travel and eligibility information will be stored by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on secured servers. CBP will be rolling out this new system throughout airports over the next few months.
