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:
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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.
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.
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.