When the decision comes back approved, we tell you and your authorization becomes available in your tracking area.
Where to get your document
Sign in to your tracking area with your file number and the email address used at checkout, and download it from your file. It is not sent as an email attachment, and your tracking area is the only place to get it.
For a group, each traveller has their own document under their own file number.
Check these three things
Your name is spelled exactly as it is in your passport.
The passport number matches the passport you will actually travel with.
The validity dates cover your trip.
If anything does not match, contact us immediately and do not book on the assumption it will be fine. An authorization tied to a different passport does not work at the airport.
Do you need to print it?
The authorization is electronic and linked to your passport, so airlines and border officers see it in their system. You do not have to carry a printout.
Carrying one anyway costs nothing and occasionally saves an argument at a check-in desk. A copy on your phone is enough.
How long it lasts
Generally two years from approval, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Within that period you can travel as many times as you like, for up to 90 days per entry.
If you renew your passport, change your name or change your citizenship, you need a new authorization.
One last thing
An approved authorization lets you travel and present yourself at the border. The final decision to admit you belongs to the US officer who meets you on arrival. Travelling for the purpose you declared, with a return ticket and somewhere to stay, is what makes that straightforward.