ESTA for Visa Waiver Program travel to or through the U.S. Prior to check-in for a flight to the U.S. or a connecting flight through the U.S., the U.S. Department of Homeland Security requires Visa Waiver Program travelers to obtain approval from the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) .lso, beginning January 1, 2016, U.S. citizens can no longer receive passport page inserts, so if youâre running out of pages, you may want to renew now even if your passport is not expiring. For information on how to apply for or renew a passport, go to the U.S. Department of State's Passport page.