ESTA Application: Is a US state ID a national ID card?

I applied for an ESTA in November and everything was approved, so right now I am kind of freaking out since I was re-reading a few questions again. Long story short, I was an intern with a J1 visa from May 2015 until May 2016. I left the US on time and never had any overstays etc.

So this question came up on the ESTA application:

Have you ever been issued a passport or national identity card for travel by any other country?

Well I had a New York State ID Card but I could not have traveled somewhere else with. I honestly did not think about that. But I guess because it says a NATIONAL ID CARD, I only had a New York STATE ID Card. So I should be fine? Thank you so much for you help.

Best Answer

You are correct, you should be fine. The question is trying to get at whether you have any other citizenship aside from the country that issued the passport you used to apply for ESTA. State ID cards say nothing about the citizenship of the bearer (aside from enhanced state ID cards, which are available only to US citizens).

To answer the question in the current version of the title: No, a US state ID card is not a national ID card.

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Does ESTA count as U.S. visa?

No. An approved ESTA is not a visa. It does not meet the legal or regulatory requirements to serve in lieu of a U.S. visa when a visa is required under U.S. law. Individuals who possess a valid visa will still be able to travel to the United States on that visa for the purpose for which it was issued.

How do you fill out an ESTA form?

Go to the official website.

Validate access to the form.

Accept waivers and general conditions.

Fill in the applicant's data.

Check your e-mail.

Complete the personal identity information.

Enter travel information.

Respond to eligibility questions.

What is an American ESTA?

ESTA is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Authorization via ESTA does not determine whether a traveler is admissible to the United States.

What are ESTA requirements?

WHAT DO I NEED TO APPLY?

Valid passport(s) from a Visa Waiver Program country. List of Visa Waiver Countries.
Traveler's valid email address.
Traveler's home address and phone number.
Traveler's emergency point of contact phone and email.
Payment method: Fee for application is $21.00 USD.

DV2022 | HOW to Get State ID Card in America

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