The difference between applying for a US visitor's visa as a citizen of a non-ESTA country and as a citizen from an ESTA country, is night and day. If you aren

The difference between applying for a US visitor's visa as a citizen of a non-ESTA country and as a citizen from an ESTA country, is night and day. If you aren't ESTA, you need to pay lots of money and undergo an in-person interview at a US embassy. This can take months to arrange, as embassy slots are scarce, plus you need to make travel arrangements to be in a city with a US embassy. If you are ESTA, you can apply for the visa online and be done with it in 10 minutes. It is very clear that if the US wants you in the country, they can make it happen very easily.