The electronic system that will replace America’s green visa waiver form is fraught with the hangovers of its predecessor, and entry to the US is still dependent on the decision of an immigration official.

Holidaymakers who currently have problems entering the US because they once failed to hand in the green form, or I-94W, on exiting the country, may find that they encounter similar problems with the new electronic system.

The electronic version of the forms, called ESTA or Electronic System for Travel Authorization, will become mandatory next year. It requires travellers to input personal details online including information about transmittable diseases or criminal convictions. The ESTA is currently optional, but from January 12, 2009, it will be mandatory for all travellers entering the US under the Visa Waiver Program, which includes Britons visiting the US on holiday.

The new system is mooted to be more efficient than the I-94W, which are currently handed out on aircraft and ships entering the US, and filled in by hand.

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The Department of Homeland and Security (DHS) claims the ESTA is better because passengers enter the data directly, rather than rely on it being copied from a handwritten form, and because the ESTA is valid for two years.

They also claim that an ESTA cannot be lost because it is an electronic file, not a piece of paper, and it will avoid the problem of people exiting the US without registering their exit by handing over the portion of the green form that remains in their passport.

Currently travellers who fail to do this have to send the remainder of the I-94W with a letter of explanation and proof of departure to the US authorities.

However, those Britons who may have had problems with this procedure may find that this record is carried over to the ESTA, and result in delays of processing the form, which should be immediate if there are no problems with the application.

Britons who do not get immediate approval will not necessarily be denied – their form enters a pending procedure, which can take up to 72 hours to complete.

According to DHS, other factors that have sparked pending applications include common forename and surname combinations, hyphenated names and people whose passports have more than ten year’s validity. But DHS Attache Mike Restovich says these early problems are being ironed out.

He told journalists during a briefing at the US Embassy in London: “ESTA is bringing into the 21st century a process that has been manual for years”.

He said it should expedite the immigration procedure at the US border because of the time saving of not attaching the form to the travellers’ passport, he did accept however, that visitors entering the US on ESTA would still have to queue with those travelling on visas from non Visa Waiver Program countries, whose applications take longer to process.

“It’s one less piece of paper to worry about,” said Kate Burgess-Craddy, director of the UK Visit USA Association. The replacement of the form will not put an end to form filling altogether – travellers will still need to complete the customs form to confirm they are not carrying goods that are illegal or anything that should attract duty payments.

The introduction of the ESTA on January 12 means passengers will be turned away at UK airport check-in if they have one.

DHS says they expect some people will be caught out: “There will be people who show up at the airport after January 12 and do not have an ESTA,” said Restovich. He said that many of these people would be able to use a computer at the airport to apply for an ESTA on the spot, but those whose applications are pending will be unable to travel.

The ESTA will be required alongside the existing API, or Advanced Passenger Information, which requests personal data such as address and date of birth, before a passenger can travel.

Those who apply for an ESTA during 2008 will still have to fill out the green form until January 12, when they are abolished. The ESTA will last for two years and cover multiple trips to America in that time.

Currently the ESTA is free, but Restovich didn’t rule out a charge in the future – he added that third parties may also offer the service for a charge: “I’m sure there will be some cottage industries on the back of this – a guy with wi-fi at the airport.”

The final hurdle is still the immigration guard. Restovich said: “ESTA approval is not a guarantee of admission to the US.” He said it was up to the customs official whether to allow passengers to enter the US.

For more information about ESTA, the Visit USA Association has produced a comprehensive guide.

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