KEY POINTS:
New Zealand travellers heading for short stays in the United States will soon be required to gain authorisation online before getting on a plane.
The Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) allows travellers from selected countries to stay in the States for 90 days or less without the need for a visa.
It will also include those stopping over while en route to other destinations.
Where previously a form would be filled out at the airport or on the plane, from January 12 people must visit a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website instead.
"What it's adding is we're getting that advanced information sooner so we can do a threat assessment before someone even, potentially, gets to the airport to get on a US-bound carrier," DHS spokeswoman Beverly Good said.
She said a series of "invisible" changes had already been made to the VWP such as the expansion of information sharing between countries.
Ms Good said the website aimed to process applications within seconds and would give one of three responses: travel authorised, authorisation pending or travel not authorised.
In the event of a rejection it would still be possible to apply for a visa.
The system was currently free and Ms Good said any cost which might be imposed would be small and some time away.
Electronic authorisation was introduced as an option in August.
Since its inception nearly 8000 New Zealanders have applied with fewer than 25 turned away.
Globally 400,000 have been processed at a rate of about 10,000 a day and with 99.5 per cent approval.
- NZPA