B-2/ESTA?

Sorry to ask such a dumb question, but I'm really unsure about this..

I (U.S. citizen) have been living in the UK with my UK spouse for over a year now, and we finally plan to travel to the US together in December.

Does he need to apply for the ESTA? or B2? I saw on one of the other posts that someone mentioned applying for the ESTA, but I thought that was only for those that fall under the Visa Waiver Program?

Please help!

Hiya Windupbird, yes your husband will need to apply for ESTA, however it will be valid for travel to the States for 2 years and will cover any trips within that period.  It's something like $12 or so, but make sure you go to the official link http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=esta%20visa&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CE0QFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Festa.cbp.dhs.gov%2F&ei=PhmtTureCYfChAegxanUDw&usg=AFQjCNHFcHch-d17ysSMOYIPYqjwmWpEMw here otherwise you might get a bootleg website that will charge more and may not actually apply on your behalf.

Does he need to apply for the ESTA? or B2? I saw on one of the other posts that someone mentioned applying for the ESTA, but I thought that was only for those that fall under the Visa Waiver Program?

As a UK citizen, your husband should fall under the visa waiver program as the UK is one of the countries participating in the VWP, so he will just need to fill out the online ESTA form.

It's a really simple process and just takes a few minutes (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/)- essentially, he just fills out the same details as he would have written on the old US I-94W landing card before the ESTA was introduced. It costs $14, but is valid for 2 years, so he won't need to do it again for 2 more years unless his details/circumstances change.

He will not need to apply for a B-2 visa unless there is a particular reason why he is ineligible to travel under the VWP - such as an arrest or criminal conviction, previous refused entry or visas to the US, or overstaying or working illegally in the US in the past.

If he did need to apply for a B-2 visa, then it would be a bit late now, since he would need to apply for it a few months before travelling (on average it takes 2-4 months to get the visa, due to possibly long waiting times to book in-person visa interviews).

I'm flying to the US in 3 weeks with my mum and she filled out the ESTA a couple of weeks ago . Unfortunately, I am no longer eligible to travel under the VWP (I have a DUI on my record), so I had to apply for a B-2 visa... I started the application process in July 2011 and got my visa in mid-September. It cost me about £200 in total though ($130 for the visa, £35 to get a police certificate, £5 for passport photos, £60 to get to London and back for the visa interview, £16 to have my passport and visa returned to me by courier etc.).

Thanks a lot for the info, DanielD1980 and ksand24! I feel like an idiot now, as when we started to to apply, I saw that it did have the UK listed under the Visa Waiver.. I think I had read something wrong on one of the sites, as I only saw Mexico, Canada, and some other country listed, and so, I was confused.

We had found out that he done the ESTA before, he couldn't remember exactly what it was when I asked him if he had ever done one.. Unfortunately, it expires a week before we travel, haha...

Thanks a lot for the info, DanielD1980 and ksand24! I feel like an idiot now, as when we started to to apply, I saw that it did have the UK listed under the Visa Waiver

No problem .

The thing is that if he has travelled to the US in the past and has not applied for a B-2 visa, then he must have travelled under the VWP - because he would not have been let into the US otherwise.

Similarly, if he has travelled to the US since the ESTA was introduced in January 2009, then he must have done the ESTA before because they won't even let you on the plane unless you have already filled it out.

I think I had read something wrong on one of the sites, as I only saw Mexico, Canada, and some other country listed, and so, I was confused.

What you probably read was that if you are entering the US by land (not plane) from either Mexico or Canada, you do not need to do the ESTA.

However, if you are entering the US by plane and you are a citizen of one of the VWP countries, you must fill out the ESTA at least 72 hours before travel, otherwise you will not be able to fly.

I faced the same issue with my partner when we went back to the States last March!  His ESTA had expired about two or three weeks before we left so he had to do another one, but since it's relatively easy it wasn't too big a deal.  Oh well, at least we'll know we won't have to do it again if we decide to travel back before 2013!