The ESTA online application system is managed and administered by the DHS or Department of Homeland Security. Their main aim is to collect sufficient relevant data about the applicant so that CBP (Customs and Border Protection) will be able to cross-check that individual’s data against the relevant official databases that are related to criminal activity, no-fly lists, and global terrorism.
Many business and vacation trips have, however, been ruined because the applicant failed to check his or her application status before departing for the airport to board a flight to the United States – only to find out at the last moment that they do not have a valid ESTA after all.
If you were already on your way to the United States before you found out that your ESTA has been canceled, you will most likely also face financial implications because you might have to cancel your flight and accommodation arrangements. That is why it is so important to make sure you enter the right information in the ESTA application form and, even if your application is initially approved, regularly check the status of the authorization to make sure nothing has gone wrong.
Is it possible for an ESTA to be initially approved and subsequently denied?
American authorities can decide to cancel an ESTA at any given time after initially having approved it. This normally happens when fresh information comes to light that proves that you never qualified in the first place.
The US authorities will continue to conduct immigration and security checks to determine your eligibility even after initially approving your ESTA application. These checks could involve consulting various law enforcement, immigration, and related databases.
The practical implication of this is that if they later find out that you neglected to mention a very important fact, for example, that you are a career terrorist, they reserve the right to cancel the ESTA which they had approved earlier right there and then.
How will I be notified that my approved ESTA has been revoked?
CBP will let you know in one of the following ways:
You will receive an email from Customs and Border Patrol explaining that your ESTA is no longer valid. If you then visit the online ESTA portal and check your application status, it will confirm that your status has changed to ‘Revoked’ or ‘Travel Not Authorized’. The implication is that you will no longer be able to visit the United States on ESTA.
In some instances, the airline with which you booked the trip will also notify you that you no longer have a valid ESTA. A really bad scenario is when you never check your ESTA status after receiving the approval notification and then arrive at the airport’s check-in counter, only to find out that you will not even be allowed to board the plane.
Things can get even worse. If the airline does not pick up on the fact that you don’t have a valid ESTA and allows you to board the flight, you could be refused entry into the United States upon arrival.
What can I do if my ESTA is canceled after it was initially approved?
Your only option will be to cancel your flight and accommodation until you have received proper authorization to enter the US. Under the circumstances, it will normally involve having to apply for an American visa.
What if the only reason for my ESTA being canceled is that I made an error on the application form?
If your ESTA is revoked, you should start by reviewing each answer you gave on the application form in an attempt to find out which reply caused the problem. If you are able to pinpoint the cause of the issue, you can submit a new ESTA application – as long as you remember that there are no guarantees that the second application will be successful.
Is it possible to adopt a more proactive approach to prevent something like that happening?
To begin with, you should check and double-check every bit of information you enter on the application form to prevent errors or discrepancies from slipping through. After you have submitted the application, you should keep on checking its status, even if it initially indicates that it was approved. Keep on doing this until the day your flight leaves. It will take you less than a minute every time but can save you a lot of anguish and money.
Will I definitely be allowed entry into the US once I have an approved ESTA?
If you have an approved ESTA on the day of your departure, the only thing that is technically certain is that you will be able to board a plane to the United States – it does not guarantee that when you arrive in the US you will be allowed entry.
The final decision about whether or not someone will be allowed to enter the US is made by the official Customs and Border Patrol official at the point of entry.
That’s why it is never a bad idea to bring with you any documents that could possibly confirm your reason for wanting to visit the US. Should the CBP official have doubts about the legitimacy of your trip and begin to ask many questions, anything that might help support your case for wanting to enter the US could be useful.
What can I do if the US authorities reject my ESTA application a second time?
Should this ever happen to you, and you still want to visit the US, your best option is to apply for a visitor visa and a ‘waiver of inadmissibility’ at the nearest American consulate or embassy.
Just don’t forget that a visa application might take several weeks or even months to be processed.
Where do I confirm that my ESTA has not expired or been revoked?
To make sure that your ESTA remains valid, you can simply visit the official ESTA website. It will clearly show whether or not it is still valid, and if it is, for how long. All you need is the original application number.
If you never wrote down this number and also didn’t print a copy of the confirmation you received, everything is not lost. You can retrieve the number by visiting the ESTA website and choosing the ‘Retrieve Application Number’ option. You will have to provide your passport number, passport issuing country, name, and date of birth.
Your approved ESTA’s validity period will commence on the day it was approved and end 2 years later, provided that your passport remains valid. If your passport, for example, expires a year from now, so will your ESTA.
When does one have to submit an application for a new ESTA?
You should submit an application for a new ESTA in any of the following circumstances:
- You get a new passport with a new expiry date
- You undergo a gender change
- Your name has changed because you, for example, got married
- You applied for citizenship in another country and your application was successful
- There was another important change such as you, for example, becoming infected with an infectious disease like tuberculosis
- A court finds you guilty of a serious offense such as:
- A crime against another person, such as murder, manslaughter, rape, serious assault, kidnapping, and child sex abuse.
- A crime against property, such as arson, burglary, theft, robbery, fraud, and receiving stolen property.
- A crime against government authority, such as bribery, tax evasion, perjury, and fraud against government functions.
- A drug-related crime, such as drug trafficking, possession of illegal drugs, and use of illegal drugs.
- A traffic offense that resulted in serious damage to property or serious harm to another person.