Growing up, I always wondered why everyone wanted to go to the USA.
Like, why are y’all crazy about going to the USA?
Today, I know better. Having been to the States a couple of times myself, I see and understand why people want to visit the country at least once in their lifetime.
This post wants to show you the reasons you, too, should consider doing the same. But before we do that, we’d like to first introduce the concept of ESTA online visa to you.
Why are we digressing into the subject of ESTA? Someone might ask. Because ESTA is the fastest way to gain entry into the US, and not everyone knows about it yet.
What is ESTA, and how does it help with US entry?
Traditionally, the United States is one of the few countries in the world-renowned for having a strict border system.
Despite the love and interest in visiting the US, the country’s tight immigration system has made it difficult for many to visit.
Enters ESTA US.
The US government designed the ESTA US to facilitate easier and faster entry into the country. Having realized the love for its culture, the government realized it couldn’t keep shutting its doors on tourists and business minds alike. Besides, there’s a huge income potential there, too.
So they decided to introduce the ESTA US visa waiver program in 2008.
This travel authorization program requires no embassy visit or interview to give a visa. You simply apply online, and then after a maximum of 72 hours, you get an email notification that your ESTA UK application has been approved.
ESTA US has an almost 100% permit guarantee. Unless you have a too-bad-to-ignore criminal record or made a mistake in your ESTA UK form, your application is always going to be approved.
With this permit, you can travel to the USA anytime you want within a two-year validity period. The only downside is that you can only spend 90 days per visit. But even after your 90 days have elapsed, you can return to your country and then reapply to return to the US on another ESTA UK 90-day permit.
Simply put, as long as you have a valid ESTA US permit, you’re free to enter the US anytime you want.
Who can apply for an ESTA US visa?
Unfortunately, only the citizens of a select few countries can apply for the ESTA US. To know if your country is on this unique list, you can perform a quick ESTA status check on the official US immigration website.
One of the countries on this list is the United Kingdom, which explains why we’ve been using the terms ESTA US and ESTA UK interchangeably since.
7 unbeatable reasons to visit the US at least once in your lifetime
Even with the freely-accessible ESTA UK permit, many are still unsure whether to visit the US. If you’re one of such persons, keep reading to find out why you must travel to the US at least once in your lifetime.
- A chance to see the world from within one country
If you’ve never toured the world before, a tour of the US might give you a glimpse of what the rest of the world has to offer.
How so? You wonder. Well, firstly, the US is the country with the highest number of immigrants in the world. World Population Review puts the number at 50.6 million immigrants.
Secondly, many of these immigrants are people of diverse backgrounds. Some are Asians, Africans, Australians, and Europeans. And some are even mixed race. Interestingly, many of these immigrants marry and settle down in the US, thus creating some sort of ‘local bases.’ By visiting the US, you get a chance to experience the way of life of these people without necessarily visiting their home countries.
- A chance to brush up on historical knowledge
Did you know some of the historical artifacts, artworks, and inventions you’ve grown up to know are locked away in American Museums?
Oh, you bet they are.
Talk about Adolf Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest” typewriter, the Norse Viking coin, Adolf Hitler’s telephone, Santa Anna’s wooden leg, and several other pieces from the Greek and Roman folklore; the USA has them all in-store.
Of course, you don’t expect anything less from a country that houses more than 35,000 museums.
If you’re big on artifacts, history, war memorials, and stuff like that, the US is where you want to be. You’ll see and learn about so many historical pieces to last a lifetime.
- A great chance to network
If you’re the career-type, you don’t want to miss out on a visit to the US. As we said earlier, the United States is always brimming with people of diverse backgrounds – culturally and career-wise.
It doesn’t matter the kind of business or career path you’re in; you’ll definitely find tons of networking events/opportunities when you come to the US.
If the reasons we’ve discussed so far don’t spark an interest in you, this should convince you otherwise. It’s the dream of every professional to advance their careers. Coming to the US helps you achieve that without even breaking a sweat.
- The view is second to none
If you’re looking for Instagram-worthy destinations and picture-perfect vacation spots, the United States of America should be atop your list of preferences.
This is because the country has some mind-blowing landscapes, mountain ranges, hiking hills, serene getaways, sunset backdrops, clear blue waters, and other picture-worthy sights.
You’ll be surprised to know people travel to the US just to take advantage of the amazing views for their photography.
- Live the skyscraper life
The US is the country with the second-highest number of skyscrapers in the world. Only behind China.
I know you probably have skyscrapers in your home country, too. But have you experienced what it’s like to live in the middle of tens of skyscrapers?
That’s what it’s like to be in New York City and many other big cities in the US.
- Experience the true meaning of nightlives
I don’t know what nightlife means in your country, but I can bet it’s nothing compared to the definition of the word in the USA.
For perspective, cities like NYC didn’t just earn the tag “The city that never sleeps,” for no reason. It’s because, in this part of the world, nights are like days. Talk about jazz clubs, live bands, karaoke spots, casino houses, NBA stadiums, New York basketball games, and so much more.
- Discover the sources, headquarters, or main access points of some of your everyday items
Did you know many of the items we use today have their sources or headquarters in the US? For example, some of the major tech solutions we use today were developed in Silicon Valley. Talk about
- Adobe
- Nvidia
- Cisco
- Applied Materials
- PayPal
- Oracle
- HP
- eBay
Tech aside, several other industries have their manufacturing sources in the US, too. Talk about aviation, finance, health, clothing, fashion, agro, etc.
If you’d like to see first-hand the sources of many of the items you use every day, coming to the US is a no-brainer.
Worthy Mentions
Clearly, we’ll need more than one post to cover every reason the US is worth visiting. But for now, here are some exciting spots/events that could make you consider visiting the country soon.
- The National Parks
- The Americana accent
- The Neon signs
- California, Miami, and New York
- The Southern Hospitality (experience the magical welcome gesture of Louisiana, Austin, and Dallas)
- The food
- Las Vegas
