I think that this is the kicker ... the Travel Promotion Act charges tourist to come to the USA ... how can you call that a promotion.

With regards to the Australian situation:
- The ETA was AUD 20
- The eVisitor system, which is open to Europeans right now (and maybe some other countries), is free

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

See here: http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/990i/tourist.htm

It doesn't appear that the "service charge" is avoidable.

The Aussie ETA can definitely be had for free. One of many ways to get it free is through a great offering right here on FlyerTalk: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/austr...plication.html.

As for the $10 visitor tax to the USA, there was a lot of discussion back when the fee was first announced: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/newss...te-travel.html.

And a blog post about it here.

That charge is specific to their website. Use an airline or TA to get the ETA and there is no charge (unless whoever you use applies a service fee).

No "service charge" for eVisitor - something for which US citizens are not eligible:
http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tour...ligibility.htm

US citizens are stuck using ETA, for which the "service charge" applies:
http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tour...ligibility.htm

From http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/evisitor/ :
"How much will an eVisitor cost?
eVisitor applications are free, there is no application charge or service fee."

From http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/976/ :
"How much will this ETA cost?
There is no visa application charge. A service charge of $20 applies."

Visa Waiver means that the requirement to have a visa pasted in your passport is waived. It also means that when you sign the back of the Visa Waiver form you are waiving many of the rights you would have if you had the visa in your passport.

FB

Well as the Travel Promotion Act has been signed into law, it will be nicely monitised now.

Yet another reason to cut back on travel to the USA.....

It's a particularly poor idea because there is already a perception among foreign tourists that US customs/immigration/entry procedures are confusing/onerous/discriminatory. Maw and Paw Kettletourist may not bother to verify whatever garbled information they get from friends/the news/travel agents, and will just choose somewhere else to go.

I don't have the visa in my passport but have applied electronically instead. What I said is that there are different forms of visas. The "visa waiver" is one of them.

Btw,
now that the DHS goons ask me about what I do for a living when showing up at the border I don't feel like going to the US for a while. I can travel intra-European and to many other places as many times as I like without being questioned.

How difficult can it be to understand that most Europeans don't have any need at all to show up at the nearest Home Depot to look for work...

FWIW, I met/know no end of illegal European immigrants in the Northeastern US.

I'm sure but the US has already decided that people from my country are not high risk to overstay. That's why we are don't need to go to the embassy for an interview before we get our visas.

What rights? It would be nice if you could elaborate on what would be the rights and the difference. Thanks.

Actually, most of the ones I am talking about were from VWP countries. Point is, being asked what your profession is is not an unreasonable question and not one that people from country X should expect to be exempt from just because they are from a VWP country.

If Americans are so suspicious then they don't need my money.

Look, I'm considered a low risk traveller by your own government and yet I'm questioned as if I'm going to stay and work as a day laborer. I don't care if it's due to the varying standard of DHS goons or because I have, for some reason, been flagged in your system. The US is still doing its best telling me I shouldn't go there.

Chicago, LA and various ski and beach localities have the same too.

Of course there are Americans who are also in violation of immigration laws in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and even north of the border too.