Complete all sections of the DCFS 304, Case Related Travel Request including the Mode of Transportation (section E). The DCFS 304 must be submitted and approved (ten) 10 days in advance of the planned departure or as soon as possible for emergency or urgent situations.
The travel document usually arrives within 150 days (sometimes longer) after submitting your application. You can't leave the country until you have your approved travel document in hand, so you should expect to spend the 3–5 months after submitting your green card application in the United States.
Applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel to the United States. The Department of Homeland Security recommends that travel authorization applications be submitted at least 72 hours prior to travel.
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.
A Travel Authorization (TE) is used to request approval for a business-related trip. In this document, the traveler indicates trip destination(s), purpose, and dates of travel and requests advance checks. In response, the TE records trip information and schedules advance checks.
The processing of an ESTA can take up to 72 hours.
The Department of Homeland Security recommends that travel authorization applications be submitted at least 72 hours prior to travel. Unless revoked, travel authorizations are valid for two years from the date of authorization, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.