$8 is the fee the headline neglected to include. Also, that’s less than the ~$20 equivalent visas Europeans have needed to enter the US for years.
The comments are fascinating. It seems like a lot of Americans don’t know about the ESTA program, and feel discriminated against.
Obviously its way past time for us to leave NATO and let the Europeans finally start paying the bulk of their own defense instead of the US taxpayer. I also think we should write our congressmen to insist they pass a law requiring the same VISA app for the EU to come to America.
Lol.
The more comments I read the sadder I become. They have no information outside their own little fantasy-filled bubble.
Even if there was no such program, it’s EIGHT DOLLARS. Who gives a fuck? If you’re traveling to Europe from the U.S., the plane fare alone will be exponentially higher. Hell, we renewed and expedited our passports a few months ago and it cost us $500.
Don’t be mad you paid that much if you used a service to expedite. Thats on you.
I’m not mad, I’m just talking about what things cost and why people shouldn’t bitch about $8.
Sounds very similar to ESTA, which you have to get as a european visiting the US.
This one is a lot cheaper though, 8$ for 3 years, ESTA costs 14$ a year + 7$ at the port of entry (usually included in your airline ticket). Canada has this as well, ETA, which is also a lot cheaper.
Eight! Dollars!
Lol.
I cynically assume that the visa requirement is to head off future waves of refugees, climate and otherwise.
I don’t care about the price, It just sucks that there is ONE MORE thing I have to remember to do before traveling. It’s not like going international isn’t stressful enough.
You have to realize that every other country has been dealing with this forever, so think of it as Americans joining the rest of the world. It really isn’t that bad.
As someone from the rest of rhe world it is that bad. Sometimes you can’t get a visa in time. Costs are crazy, especially for a family.
The article and their website explicitly say that for the majority of people, the application is processed within minutes, unless you’re on an interpol/europole watchlist and/or have a lengthy criminal record. The fee is $8/person, and if you can afford a plane ticket to Europe, $32 for a family of 4 is a drop in the bucket. And with the exception of business travellers, most people should be planning their trip well in advance.
How is that cynical? I see it as now Americans have to deal with what everyone else has had to deal with for decades, and the added requirement really isn’t a huge burden. For a country like America that has a hardon for immigration and the like, it seems a bit hypocritical that we’d get upset the EU would like added protections at their borders. Kind of a leopards at my face situation.
