What is the difference between “visa” and “status”?
A visa simply allows you to get on a plane to the US and request permission to enter the country. The length of your stay will be determined by the Immigration Services official at the border. A visa does not mean you are legally entitled to enter the country or to stay for the full period of 180 days a year. The border official does have the right to limit the length of your stay (especially if you have entered the country frequently before).
Similar to the Visa Waiver Program, travellers have to fill out the I-94 Arrival-Departure Record on board their plane/ship, giving information on themselves and the purpose of the stay. The US official will note down the length of your stay on this form (your so-called status). Please remember to have it removed from your passport before leaving the country so your departure can be recorded properly. Please check your local US embassy website for details on what to do if you did forget to turn it in.
Visa holders, other than Visa Waiver Program travellers, do not need the new ESTA authorization.
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