Donald Trump’s government shutdown means Brits may not be able to visit the US if they don’t already have an ESTA
BRITS hoping to visit the US in the near future may see their trip in jeopardy due to the current partial government shutdown.
The shutdown, initiated by Donald Trump last week, is affecting a number of services - including applications for ESTAs.
Nine different federal departments were shutdown at midnight on December 22, alongside the government, and will continue until the foreseeable future.
Among them are the Department of Homeland Security, which is in charge of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers that carry airport security checks; and the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Parks Service.
As a result, visitors to the US will be affected in a number of ways in the coming weeks.
Here's what you need to know:
ESTA applications
If you're holding a British passport and visiting the US under the Visa Waiver program, you will need to apply for an ESTA, or Electronic System for Travel Authorization .
Following the government shut down, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) saying:"Due to the lapse in federal funding, this website will not be actively managed.
"This website was last updated on December 21, 2018 and will not be updated until after funding is enacted. As such, information on this website may not be up to date.
"Transactions submitted via this website might not be processed and we will not be able to respond to inquiries until after appropriations are enacted."
This effectively means that if you do not already have an ESTA, you will not be able to travel to the US until the CBP is in operation again - and there is likely to be a delay in processing the application once it does.
Global Entry memberships
The CBP has a Global Entry program that allows pre-approved, low-risk travellers to clear customs check faster once they get to the US.
As with ESTA applications, as Global Entry memberships are administered by the CBP, new membership are not currently being processed.
Visa applications
If you already have a visa appointment scheduled at the US Embassy in London or at the consulates in Belfast and Edinburgh, the .
However, it's not clear whether new visa appointments can be made at this time as the US Embassy in the UK is also affected by the partial government shutdown.
Flying to the US
Both the air traffic controllers and the TSA agents are covered by federal funding.
However, both will continue to work through the government shutdown - at least over the holiday period - as they are considered essential services.
according to Fortune, but it is expected that they will be repaid once the government starts again, although it not guaranteed.
It's not clear what will happen if the stand off continues.
US National Parks and museums
All the national parks and government-own museums will have been affected by the government shutdown to some degree.
In the case of national parks, some of the most popular ones such as Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty have received funding from the local State government to continue operations.
However, it's likely that in some cases, there is a reduction in the number of staff or facilities available to the public.
Some national parks, such as Yellowstone, are completely closed, so if you are planning to visit a national park, it is worth checking ahead of time.
Some museums are also affected.
The Smithsonian in Washington DC will be drawing on past funds to open until January 1 and will then advise as to whether it can continue to open.
Again, visitors are advised to check what will be open.
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Sun Online Travel reported earlier this month that US CBP advised visitors to apply for their ESTAs as early as possible.
Due to a change in the way the applications are processed, real-time approvals are no longer available.
The CBP advised that at least 72 hours are needed - although it's likely to be longer following the government shutdown.