ESTA question usa

[Berry10000]

Help!

Ready for 4th trip to usa, and esta was submitted and approved late March 22 and approved.

All ready for trip in next 2 weeks, and just got email today stating esta updated. Just been online to see my partners is still approved but mine has moved to pending authorisation

Hence panicking now! Anyone experienced this. Should I submit another in a few days?

Edited by Berry10000 on Friday 13th May 22:14

Edited by Berry10000 on Friday 13th May 22:14

[Carbon Sasquatch]

Seems odd - it implies they are retrospectively investigating something.....

You can contact CBP and ask it it's not resolved soon.

https://official-esta.co.uk/esta-resources/what-do...

[HotJambalaya]

Log out, clear cookies, and log back in. Any change?

[Berry10000]

ESTA reapproved. No idea what happened. Not happened on last couple trips but hey ho

[Sheepshanks]

Berry10000 said:

ESTA reapproved. No idea what happened. Not happened on last couple trips but hey ho

I've never heard of this before, but Googling suggests it's not unheard of for this to happen and people turn up at airports and are denied boarding.

[Silverage]

Just doing ours for a holiday in July and it’s always a nervous time after you submit it and it goes to “pending approval”. My daughter and mine have come back ok. Son couldn’t find his passport so couldn’t do his at the same time. Passport now found and will be doing it tomorrow.

[Whistle]

When I did ours a couple of weeks ago all 4 came back ok in about 15 minutes.

[Carbon Sasquatch]

I've done one at a check in desk at Heathrow on a Sunday before now - fortunately it came back very quickly.

[The Gauge]

Just submitted our ESTA's and had them approved within the hour. Found the whole application process to be horrible if Im honest.

On the face of it it's simple, but it doesn't make it clear when adding family members if you need to select 'New Application' for each or 'Add unpaid application'. Turned out it was the former.
We ticked 'No social Media presence' instead of declaring any Twitter accounts etc.
Used our New York hotel as our point of contact in USA, and a friend as the emergency point of contact.
Had to use a Windows laptop to complete the application as the photo uploading and camera scanning of our passports wouldn't work using Safari browser ion my MacBook.

For anyoone needing to complete their ESTA applications I would do it ASAP rather than leave it to nearer your travel date just in case there are problems. A mate of mine had his refused with just days to go before flying to USA, they didn't like that he had been to a certain country, so he had to get an appointment with the Embassy and get a Visa rushed through.

[The Gauge]

Once authorised is there anything that needs printing off to take with you, or is it all linked to your passport?

[2 GKC]

Nothing to print. I’d make a note of the reference number

[Car bon]

All linked.

One time I had let mine expire and didn't realise until check in at the airport when they told me. I was able to complete it on my phone, then within a few minutes, the Virgin system knew and allowed me to check in. I wouldn't recommend that approach though.

[Truckosaurus]

The Gauge said:

...
For anyone needing to complete their ESTA applications I would do it ASAP rather than leave it to nearer your travel date just in case there are problems....

Indeed. They are fairly cheap in the grand scheme of transatlantic travel so better to get it all in place early (maybe even before buying tickets etc) rather than trying to push the end-date out by waiting until nearer the time of travel - especially if it is your first one.

Of course, a similar European scheme is coming in next year, that'll be fun, expect lots of compo faces in the paper for people 'banned' from traveling to their cheap package holiday.

[captain_cynic]

Truckosaurus said:

The Gauge said:

...
For anyone needing to complete their ESTA applications I would do it ASAP rather than leave it to nearer your travel date just in case there are problems....

Indeed. They are fairly cheap in the grand scheme of transatlantic travel so better to get it all in place early (maybe even before buying tickets etc) rather than trying to push the end-date out by waiting until nearer the time of travel - especially if it is your first one.

Of course, a similar European scheme is coming in next year, that'll be fun, expect lots of compo faces in the paper for people 'banned' from traveling to their cheap package holiday.

As are the UK, Australia already has a system in place for travel authorization.

One thing from COVID that is suspect will stay is that more countries will adopt this style of pre-registration for visitors, if they haven't ent already. It's not much different to the old style passenger information cards you used to have to fill out.

[x5tuu]

captain_cynic said:

<snip> It's not much different to the old style passenger information cards you used to have to fill out.

Thats exaclty what they are replacing.

[The Gauge]

Truckosaurus said:

Of course, a similar European scheme is coming in next year, that'll be fun, expect lots of compo faces in the paper for people 'banned' from traveling to their cheap package holiday.

I recall one of the questions was asking of you had ever been arrested/convicted for criminal damage (and maybe assault, I don't recall) so I wonder if declaring 'Yes' would prevent you from entering USA?

If so, plenty of folk get arrested/convicted from a Saturday night drunken brawl for spilling someones drink or looking at someone else's bird. That would be them royally screwed!!

[Charlie Foxtrot]

For me the unnerving thing is the ESTA is valid for two years, fine, except the details I entered in November were for a trip to Honduras via American (I never left the airport) yet my next trip I will be staying in the country. However, it's still valid. But the internet tends to tell me I'll be ok.

Did my wifes on the weekend and she got approved within an hour.

[Truckosaurus]

Indeed. When you first apply it asks for location details, but there is no method of updating it for future visits where it seems not to matter.

[Silverage]

Do you have to scan your passport as part of the ESTA application now then?

[captain_cynic]

I've never had to, just used the issuing number from my passport.