View Rule

This rule amends Department of Homeland Security regulations pertaining to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to reflect a change to the $4.00 operational fee based on a recent fee study conducted by CBP. The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (TPA) mandated that the Secretary of Homeland Security establish a fee for the use of ESTA and begin assessing and collecting the fee no later than six months after enactment. The TPA provided that the initial fee consists of a sum to fund the newly authorized Corporation for Travel Promotion plus an amount that will at least ensure recovery of the full costs of providing and administering the System, as determined by the Secretary (known as the operational fee or the processing charge). In 2010, DHS announced that a $4.00 operational fee would be charged to each ESTA applicant to ensure recovery of the full costs of providing and administering the system. Since that time, many enhancements have been implemented to the ESTA program resulting in the need to reassess the operational fee. Accordingly, CBP recently conducted a fee study to determine that operational fee is set at an amount that at least ensures full recovery of ESTA operating costs.