- The listed application fee is $40.62.
A November 10, 2026 article names Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles as airports where travelers with approved ESTA authorization and biometric passports can travel without a US visa. It does not give a start date for this airport-specific access.
The article describes the Visa Waiver Program, which lets eligible visitors travel without a visitor visa. It does not establish that the three airports have adopted a new entry policy.
The named locations may prompt questions for passengers planning US trips. The account does not explain why those airports are singled out.
The named airports come without a start date
The article identifies Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles, but does not set a date when access begins. Nor does it describe a new airport-level order or procedure.
A CBP biometric planning document discusses biometric exit planning for air travel. The biometric-exit plan does not name Atlanta, Dallas or Los Angeles airports or establish an ESTA entry rule.
That leaves the central timing question unanswered: travelers cannot determine from the airport account when a separate airport policy would take effect. The account instead describes the standard waiver framework.
Authorization allows travel, not guaranteed admission
The Visa Waiver Program covers eligible citizens and nationals of participating countries visiting for tourism or business for up to 90 days. The electronic authorization is connected to the traveler’s passport; it is not a physical visa.
The article puts the admission limit plainly:
“Neither a visa nor ESTA guarantees entry into the United States, since that decision depends on the immigration officer handling your case.”
An approved authorization permits travel to the United States under the program. It does not decide whether a traveler is admitted at the border. That decision belongs to the immigration officer.
A chip-equipped passport is only one requirement
Travelers need to meet several conditions, not simply carry a biometric passport:
- They must be citizens or nationals of a participating country and travel for an authorized purpose.
- They need an electronic passport with an embedded chip carrying identity information. The passport cover displays an international e-passport symbol.
- They need a return or onward ticket and must not be barred on immigration or security grounds.
- The passport requirement also applies to infants and to travelers using emergency or temporary passports.
The listed application fee is $40.62. Airlines check travel documents at check-in and may refuse boarding when a passenger lacks the required documents.
Travel history and dual nationality can also affect eligibility. Prior presence in Cuba and certain other countries may be relevant, as can dual nationality with Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan or Syria. The eligibility rules include specific travel-history restrictions, so passengers should check their own circumstances rather than assume a passport alone qualifies them.
Travelers need approval before boarding
Passengers should confirm that their nationality and travel purpose qualify, check that their passport is electronic, and secure approval before boarding. The authorization is linked to that passport, so travelers should use the passport they plan to present for the trip.
People who do not qualify for the waiver need to pursue a standard visitor B visa through a US embassy or consulate. The airport account does not change that alternative or provide a separate application route for travelers using Atlanta, Dallas or Los Angeles.
A separate CBP planning document concerns biometric exit systems, not a new waiver-entry process. No start date for an airport-specific change appears in the account naming the three cities.
