This article discusses some of the common issues faced by ESTA applicants after they notice they have made a mistake on their forms.
Q: I’ve made a mistake on my ESTA application. How do I fix it?
A: Until you have submitted the application form, the website will allow you to review everything and fix any mistakes that you might have made. Before submitting your ESTA application, you will be able to make changes to all the information you entered except for the following fields:
– Date of birth
– Country of citizenship
– Country where your passport was issued
– Your passport number
If you make a mistake with your biographical or passport info, you will unfortunately have to send in a totally new application. And for every new application that is submitted, you will also have to pay the relevant fee.
All other fields can be edited or updated. Find and click on the ‘Check ESTA Status’ link and then look for ‘Check Individual Status’. If you made an error while replying to any of the eligibility questions, you should look for the ‘CBP Info Center’, which can be found at the bottom of every page.
Q: How can I fix a mistake I made with the Passport Expiration Date or Passport Issuance Date after I’ve already completed my ESTA application?
A: As long as you haven’t paid the application fee yet, you will be able to make changes to the Passport Expiration Date and the Passport Issuance Date. Unfortunately, if you have already made a payment for the ESTA application, and then you realize that you’ve made a mistake in the Passport Expiration Date or Passport Issuance Date fields, you will have to send in a new ESTA application. The earlier application will be canceled and you will have to pay the relevant fee again.
Q: How can an applicant update the information on his or her ESTA application?
A: Before you have submitted your ESTA application, you will be able to update any of the data fields. Once the authorities have approved your application, however, you will only be able to amend the following fields:
– Address in the United States
– Email address (Please note that if you want to change the email address you initially submitted, you will have to verify the updated email address)
Q: What do I have to do if my passport has expired or the passport details changed?
A: If you apply for and are subsequently issued with a new passport, or your passport information changed, you will have to apply for a new ESTA travel authorization. You will also have to pay the relevant fee again. See the previous question “Q: How can an applicant update the information on his or her ESTA application?” for a list of the form fields that can be changed after you have submitted your application.
Q: How can I complete an ESTA application that I partially completed before?
A: Go to the ESTA home page and look for the ‘Continue Existing Application’ link. Click on that and then choose ‘Individual Application’. Next, you will have to retrieve the unfinished application by entering either your Passport Expiration Date, Passport Issuance Date, and the Country of Citizenship OR Application Number, Date of Birth, and Passport Number. Once you can see the partially completed application data on your screen, you can proceed to complete it.
Q: I have an approved ESTA. Under which circumstances will I have to apply again?
A: You might have to apply for a new ESTA if any of the following becomes true:
– You’ve changed your name
– You’ve been issued a new passport
– Since the original ESTA was issued, you’ve become a citizen of a different country
– You have changed your gender from male to female or female to male
– The situation regarding any of your earlier responses to questions on the ESTA application form that asked for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer has since changed.
An ESTA travel authorization will normally be valid for a 2-year period, or until your passport expires, whichever happens first. When your ESTA application is approved, the validity date will also be provided. The moment your passport or your approved ESTA authorization therefore expires, you will have to submit a new ESTA application. Please note that you will be required to pay the relevant fee every time you submit a new ESTA application.
Conclusion
If you accidentally enter the wrong information on the first question of the form, wait 24 hours and submit a new application. If the mistake is on any of the questions between 2 and 9, you will have to call US Customs and Border Patrol or send an email to the ESTA technical support team to let them know.