Even though Chileans call themselves the United States in Latin America, the majority of its citizens want to visit and witness for themselves the advantages of knowing the country, whether it is for tourism, business or medical treatments.
What is undeniable is that the United States is the country of opportunities, both to grow from a cultural point of view, due to the great diversity the country has, and for its economic level which is ideal for businesses.
However, applying for a Visa may seem like a long and tedious process especially when you don’t know the requirements you need to meet, the legal institutions to carry out the procedures and the duration to be approved.
Luckily for the Chileans, their country in 2014 joined the program “Visa Waiver” which allows them to more easily apply for their US ESTA, in other words, an Electronic System for Travel Authorization.
Concerning the requirements to qualify for a US ESTA, you must have a passport originating in Chile and be a Chilean citizen by birth. The duration of your stay in the United States must be less than 90 days, that is, only for tourist, business or medical purposes that do not exceed this period.
Verify your contact details and have them on hand, as you will fill a form to apply for your US travel authorization. Finally, you will need a PayPal account or a valid credit card to make the payments related to the procedure.
You can plan to receive the New Year in Time Square, visit Central Park during the holidays, get to meet the Union Station railway or celebrate like the famous Las Vegas-style.
Nevertheless, before creating the travel itinerary and even booking the tickets for the plane, you should request your US ESTA to enjoy your trip.
Although if you had previously purchased your airplane tickets or made your hotel reservations, the approval of the electronic authorization only takes about 72 hours, this way none of your plans will be interrupted.
For this reason, the number of Chileans who have visited the United States has increased significantly in recent years.
Especially to get to know Balboa Park, the place that hosts the great annual event known as the St. Patrick’s Stop, enjoy the iconic Golden Gate or make everyone’s dream come true as children, meet the Mickey Mouse in Disneyland, California or at the Magic Kingdom in Florida.
The biggest benefit of the US ESTA is for Chilean entrepreneurs as they can exchange services or import their products between the two countries. If they scale enough, they can make larger investments that allow them to opt for a green card.
Currently, Chile is the only Latin American country to which its citizens have the benefit of entering the United States using the US ESTA, thanks to the previous “Visa Waiver” agreement; but the good behavior of Chileans during their visit in the nation is what will keep up the program lasting through the upcoming years.
In the same order of ideas, Oregon is one of the states where there are 5 duty-free shopping centers of which most Chileans take advantage to import products of recognized brands, similarly New Hampshire and Delaware. Those are key points, where once the US ESTA is approved, Chileans travel to invest.
It is important to point out; the laws do not allow import illegal products, so you should read the current regulations to avoid committing any infraction. Likewise, the amount of investment cannot exceed 1000 dollars when you don’t have any other permission to import.
In summary, Chileans have the great advantage of traveling through ESTA to the United States, to apply you must be a Chilean native, fill out a form to be approved and have a credit card or PayPal account to cancel expenses.
The only limitation it has is that the duration of your trip must be less than 90 days. This authorization is for tourist, business or medical treatment purposes.
The best advantage is that it can be approved in about 72 hours, so you can plan a good trip to the United States without the stress of the procedures involved in applying for a Visa.
Apply today to make your American dream come true !
