ESTA - Q & A's (Merged)
Join Date: Feb 2000
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Update, as promised...
Objective
Documents and paperwork requirements remain as before - no change. All visitors to the USA, entering by air without a US visa in their passport should complete an ESTA form online, and also the I-94W. Customs forms continue to be required (and will be so into the future) for each surname/family name travelling.
There is a grace period and amnesty for non-completion of ESTA in effect. The duration of this period has not been advised.
Subjective
US immigration and Customs officers and procedures continue to degrade international respect for the USA at a rate that is invisible only to US lawmakers: Only Iraq (and arguably Kyoto) have the capacity to madden non-US citizens more rapidly. I'm not exaggerating - I see the results by the thousand quite regularly, and often have to advise customers not to express their real opinions to officers on arrival . I love the USA with passion - always have: It saddens me to see the country I love diminish its' own reputation abroad quite so unnecessarily.
The ESTA implementation has been frankly chaotic - communication, IT and management of the project have all been sloppy, leaving a wake of confused and irritated airlines and passengers who are still waiting for clarification and deadlines. Depressing, and avoidable stuff...
EDIT
P.S. - Just for good measure, due to another error by US Immigration, there are currently two different printed versions of the I-94W in circulation - there are slightly different questions on each one. Immigration have given a dispensation to airlines to use the newer (incorrect) version that Immigration themselves distributed, in parallell for a period of time that has not been specified.
Objective
Documents and paperwork requirements remain as before - no change. All visitors to the USA, entering by air without a US visa in their passport should complete an ESTA form online, and also the I-94W. Customs forms continue to be required (and will be so into the future) for each surname/family name travelling.
There is a grace period and amnesty for non-completion of ESTA in effect. The duration of this period has not been advised.
Subjective
US immigration and Customs officers and procedures continue to degrade international respect for the USA at a rate that is invisible only to US lawmakers: Only Iraq (and arguably Kyoto) have the capacity to madden non-US citizens more rapidly. I'm not exaggerating - I see the results by the thousand quite regularly, and often have to advise customers not to express their real opinions to officers on arrival . I love the USA with passion - always have: It saddens me to see the country I love diminish its' own reputation abroad quite so unnecessarily.
The ESTA implementation has been frankly chaotic - communication, IT and management of the project have all been sloppy, leaving a wake of confused and irritated airlines and passengers who are still waiting for clarification and deadlines. Depressing, and avoidable stuff...
EDIT
P.S. - Just for good measure, due to another error by US Immigration, there are currently two different printed versions of the I-94W in circulation - there are slightly different questions on each one. Immigration have given a dispensation to airlines to use the newer (incorrect) version that Immigration themselves distributed, in parallell for a period of time that has not been specified.
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Thanks very much for that short and sweet summary TightSlot. I know what you mean about the US... and it is embarrassing for friends and colleagues who have the distinct displeasure of having to endure this, especially when they are citizens of the country.
S.
S.
Join Date: Jun 2004
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ESTA Question
Me and a friend are having a friendly debate about this new waste of time!
I think that the ESTA you complete online is a travel authorisation and you still need to complete a Visa Waiver Green Form on the plane.
He thinks the ESTA form covers both the travel authorisation AND the Visa Waiver.
Can anyone tell me who is right?
Thank you
I think that the ESTA you complete online is a travel authorisation and you still need to complete a Visa Waiver Green Form on the plane.
He thinks the ESTA form covers both the travel authorisation AND the Visa Waiver.
Can anyone tell me who is right?
Thank you
Join Date: Nov 2007
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At the moment you are correct as both have to be completed.
The aim seems to be that eventually the ESTA will replace the visa waiver form but when is anyones guess having read the other posts on the subject in this forum !
The aim seems to be that eventually the ESTA will replace the visa waiver form but when is anyones guess having read the other posts on the subject in this forum !
Join Date: Jan 2004
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HELP!!
Travelling 2nd week in Feb to USA just filled out my online ESTA.
TRAVEL PERMISSION REFUSED
I regularly travel to the States no problem, last time in October, I have nothing in my history which would cause a problem.
Biggest difficulty is on the site there is nowhere to ask why I was refused. Does this mean I am shafted. What should I do?
The only thing I can think of is my new passport arrived this morning and I entered the details from that. Maybe the systems have not yet registered new document numbers.......
Any advise greatly appreciated!
Candoo
Travelling 2nd week in Feb to USA just filled out my online ESTA.
TRAVEL PERMISSION REFUSED
I regularly travel to the States no problem, last time in October, I have nothing in my history which would cause a problem.
Biggest difficulty is on the site there is nowhere to ask why I was refused. Does this mean I am shafted. What should I do?
The only thing I can think of is my new passport arrived this morning and I entered the details from that. Maybe the systems have not yet registered new document numbers.......
Any advise greatly appreciated!
Candoo
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New Question
Hello
Question from a newcomer here - please bear with me as this may seem a little complicated
I am flying to San Diego via Newark at the end of the week - have already completed the ESTA form and received approval, no problem. From San Diego we are taking a boat trip, and flying back from Mexico via Houston (all flights with Continental or subsidiaries). Do we need to register a "changed details" on the ESTA website to cover the return flight (2 weeks later, transit only)?
Any advice most welcome.
Oc
Question from a newcomer here - please bear with me as this may seem a little complicated
I am flying to San Diego via Newark at the end of the week - have already completed the ESTA form and received approval, no problem. From San Diego we are taking a boat trip, and flying back from Mexico via Houston (all flights with Continental or subsidiaries). Do we need to register a "changed details" on the ESTA website to cover the return flight (2 weeks later, transit only)?
Any advice most welcome.
Oc
Join Date: Aug 2002
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candoo,
On the basis that you are not a known terrorist (!)and you are a citizen of a waiver country, my advice would be to try again. I am pretty sure the system does not identify you by passport numbers as I have two ESTA's due to dual nationality.
Take particular care with the details and the final two questions which ask if you are the traveller or their agent...make sure you only fill out one.
I am presuming you gave back (or had taken back) the exit stub when you last left the States.
oldcadet,
No. As with the "real" I-94W, you only need enter your first stop in the USA.
Just so you know how "good" the system is, I went back to my ESTA after two days to fill out my destination. I then realised I had not made a note of my application number and the system has no method of recalling it. So,I just filled out a new application with the same details and "Hey Presto!", a new application number. I subsequently travelled without any problem.
On the basis that you are not a known terrorist (!)and you are a citizen of a waiver country, my advice would be to try again. I am pretty sure the system does not identify you by passport numbers as I have two ESTA's due to dual nationality.
Take particular care with the details and the final two questions which ask if you are the traveller or their agent...make sure you only fill out one.
I am presuming you gave back (or had taken back) the exit stub when you last left the States.
oldcadet,
No. As with the "real" I-94W, you only need enter your first stop in the USA.
Just so you know how "good" the system is, I went back to my ESTA after two days to fill out my destination. I then realised I had not made a note of my application number and the system has no method of recalling it. So,I just filled out a new application with the same details and "Hey Presto!", a new application number. I subsequently travelled without any problem.
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Strake - that did occur to me as I still have the green stub but the last three times I have travelled to the States it has not been taken off me. This may be a red herring as my wife successfully applied and she still has her green stub in her passport!
Various other forums suggest it is the passport update thing and waiting 10 days to re-apply to avoid highlighting yourself making multiple entries.
I am loathed to call the US Embassy for the same reason, maybe I will try BA.
Various other forums suggest it is the passport update thing and waiting 10 days to re-apply to avoid highlighting yourself making multiple entries.
I am loathed to call the US Embassy for the same reason, maybe I will try BA.
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candoo,
If you really have left the USA that many times without returning the stub of your I-94W and you still have one, then that is a no-no and could be the cause of your problem. It is taken very seriously and you are possibly going to have to provide detailed proof of departure to rectify. Worst case is that you will need to apply for a visa.
See below for info from US Consulate:
Sometimes due to an oversight the card is not removed. If this occurs, the passenger's departure from the United States will not be registered with the CBP.
If this happens, the next time you apply to enter the United States, your visa may be subject to cancellation and/or you may be denied entry into the United States. In particular, visitors who remain beyond their permitted stay in the United States under the Visa Waiver Program cannot reenter the U.S. in the future without obtaining a visa. If this occurs and you arrive at a U.S. port of entry seeking admission under the Visa Waiver Program without a visa, United States immigration officials may deny you entry into the U.S. Therefore, visitors must ensure that they surrender the I-94 or I-94W stub to the transport carrier before they depart the United States.
I still have the I-94 or I-94W in my possession; what should I do?
If you have left the United States and are still in possession of the I-94 or I-94W it is in your best interest to forward it to the appropriate authorities so that your record is corrected and that you do not experience any problems on future travel to the United States as a result.
It is very important that you complete the back of the card listing the port of departure and date of departure from the United States and the carrier/flight information. The I-94 or I-94W together with a letter of explanation and evidence of your departure from the U.S. should be sent to:
DHS-CBP SBU, 1084 South Laurel Road
London, Kentucky 40744
USA
Do not mail the I-94/I-94W to the Embassy. Doing so will only delay the update of the departure information. The CBP office in London cannot update the arrival and departure system.
What evidence of my departure from the United States do you require?
The evidence can come from a variety of sources, including but not limited to:
Original boarding passes you used to depart the United States;
Entry or departure stamps in your passport to indicate you entered another country after you departed the United States (please copy all passport pages that are not completely blank and include the biographic page containing your photograph);
Dated pay slips or vouchers from your employer to indicate that you worked in another country after you departed the United States;
Dated bank records showing transactions in your home country to indicate that you were in another country after your left the United States;
School records showing your attendance at a school outside the United States to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States;
Dated credit card receipts with the credit card number deleted for purchases you made after you departed the United States to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States.
Please send legible copies or the original material where possible. If you send original materials please retain a copy for your records; the originals will not be returned to you. It will assist the CBP if you include an explanation letter.
I no longer have the card!
If you left the United States with the I-94 or I-94W in your possession but no longer have the card, you should write to: DHS-CBP SBU, 1084 South Laurel Road, London, Kentucky 40744, USA U.S.A. with the following information:
Name;
date and place of birth;
country of citizenship;
date of arrival in the U.S.;
date of departure from the United States;
airline or carrier departed on;
flight number or name of vessel.
If departure was via a land border port please enter "land" instead of carrier information.
You must also include evidence of your departure as noted above.
If you really have left the USA that many times without returning the stub of your I-94W and you still have one, then that is a no-no and could be the cause of your problem. It is taken very seriously and you are possibly going to have to provide detailed proof of departure to rectify. Worst case is that you will need to apply for a visa.
See below for info from US Consulate:
Sometimes due to an oversight the card is not removed. If this occurs, the passenger's departure from the United States will not be registered with the CBP.
If this happens, the next time you apply to enter the United States, your visa may be subject to cancellation and/or you may be denied entry into the United States. In particular, visitors who remain beyond their permitted stay in the United States under the Visa Waiver Program cannot reenter the U.S. in the future without obtaining a visa. If this occurs and you arrive at a U.S. port of entry seeking admission under the Visa Waiver Program without a visa, United States immigration officials may deny you entry into the U.S. Therefore, visitors must ensure that they surrender the I-94 or I-94W stub to the transport carrier before they depart the United States.
I still have the I-94 or I-94W in my possession; what should I do?
If you have left the United States and are still in possession of the I-94 or I-94W it is in your best interest to forward it to the appropriate authorities so that your record is corrected and that you do not experience any problems on future travel to the United States as a result.
It is very important that you complete the back of the card listing the port of departure and date of departure from the United States and the carrier/flight information. The I-94 or I-94W together with a letter of explanation and evidence of your departure from the U.S. should be sent to:
DHS-CBP SBU, 1084 South Laurel Road
London, Kentucky 40744
USA
Do not mail the I-94/I-94W to the Embassy. Doing so will only delay the update of the departure information. The CBP office in London cannot update the arrival and departure system.
What evidence of my departure from the United States do you require?
The evidence can come from a variety of sources, including but not limited to:
Original boarding passes you used to depart the United States;
Entry or departure stamps in your passport to indicate you entered another country after you departed the United States (please copy all passport pages that are not completely blank and include the biographic page containing your photograph);
Dated pay slips or vouchers from your employer to indicate that you worked in another country after you departed the United States;
Dated bank records showing transactions in your home country to indicate that you were in another country after your left the United States;
School records showing your attendance at a school outside the United States to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States;
Dated credit card receipts with the credit card number deleted for purchases you made after you departed the United States to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States.
Please send legible copies or the original material where possible. If you send original materials please retain a copy for your records; the originals will not be returned to you. It will assist the CBP if you include an explanation letter.
I no longer have the card!
If you left the United States with the I-94 or I-94W in your possession but no longer have the card, you should write to: DHS-CBP SBU, 1084 South Laurel Road, London, Kentucky 40744, USA U.S.A. with the following information:
Name;
date and place of birth;
country of citizenship;
date of arrival in the U.S.;
date of departure from the United States;
airline or carrier departed on;
flight number or name of vessel.
If departure was via a land border port please enter "land" instead of carrier information.
You must also include evidence of your departure as noted above.
Guest
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Apologies for stupidly long link
having your I94w still in your passport is not a problem if you left via a comercial carrier
Answer
'm sorry for the long link but it just goes to show how dep this info is buried !
Other half has this prolem all the tim as they rarely take the form out on the USA/Canada border and he never knows when he might be going back , to see if its worth keeping or not!
Answer
'm sorry for the long link but it just goes to show how dep this info is buried !
Other half has this prolem all the tim as they rarely take the form out on the USA/Canada border and he never knows when he might be going back , to see if its worth keeping or not!
Too mean to buy a long personal title
Someone obviously forgot the meaning of the "W" in I-94W!
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Candoo, if you try again, and your ESTA is refused a second time, make an appointment with the US Embassy on Grosvenor Square and get a visa instead. That way they'll either tell you why your ESTA was refused, or they'll tell you they are refusing you a visa, or they'll say everything's ok and here's a 2-year visa (be aware that in my early days they first started with a 1-year, then extended that for another 5, and then finally another 10, so you might only get a 1-year visa).
But the good thing about the visa is that you don't apply for an ESTA in that case because a) it doesn't apply to people with visas, and b) they've actually seen you at the embassy and authorised a visa based on that information.
S.
But the good thing about the visa is that you don't apply for an ESTA in that case because a) it doesn't apply to people with visas, and b) they've actually seen you at the embassy and authorised a visa based on that information.
S.
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1. Is it possible to apply "speculatively" now for an ESTA, or must you have a definite flight and arrival arranged first.
3. Why is the ESTA a) Valid for 2 years, but then b) You need to visit the website for each arrival. Are these not somehow contradictory.
4. If making a second visit how do you cross-reference the original ESTA.
5. If during the 2 years you change your passport do you need a complete new application ?
6. As I understand it the "72 hours before" is just a recommendation and it will actually normally come back in seconds. So is this something that could end up being done at check-in if needed ? Or for F class passengers only ?
7. How do you demonstrate to check-in that you have an ESTA ? Do you just give a reference number ? What if you just make one up, or use somebody else's ? Are they checked on-line as part of the check-in process ? Likewise for on-line check-in, how do you demonstrate you have one ? And if you do on-line check-in is it going to be one of those things which, annoyingly, "Fast" Bag Drop ask to see all over again, slowing down the Bag Drop process ?
8. Will there still be an I-94W stub, or equivalent, to be handed in on departure from the US, or not ? Are the days of these over ?
A
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ESTA Application
Hi all,
I am due to travel to the States in a few weeks. As you may already know the new visa requirements which came into effect on January 12 require that I fill out an online ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Application) before I travel. My travel agent sent me a link to the online application but the link seems dead.
I've also tried googling it but the same result.
I also note that there are some websites that are charging a fee for the application. As far as I know the application through a legit webpage is free.
Has anyone had the same experience as me?
If so can you point me in the right direction?
For reference, the link I was given is: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta
Thanks in advance,
Mike
I am due to travel to the States in a few weeks. As you may already know the new visa requirements which came into effect on January 12 require that I fill out an online ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Application) before I travel. My travel agent sent me a link to the online application but the link seems dead.
I've also tried googling it but the same result.
I also note that there are some websites that are charging a fee for the application. As far as I know the application through a legit webpage is free.
Has anyone had the same experience as me?
If so can you point me in the right direction?
For reference, the link I was given is: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta
Thanks in advance,
Mike