ESTA - how far in advance of trip would you book?

[anneeb]

On a Facebook group that I am on, someone’s dad was denied an ESTA, despite travelling on one twice a year since they came out. He had the same name and almost the same date of birth as a person flagged as a no flight. He had to apply for a visa, luckily he always applied for an ESTA six months before travelling so it was all sorted for his trip. This isn’t the only person that I have heard of being denied an ESTA despite having one previously.

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by supermumof3

Thanks for this info Chris...will submit them earlier this time as ours are due for renewal before our trip in July... naively, I hadn't thought about an instance of a computer glitch! I guess an easy assumption to make is that you answer the questions, have no criminal record, haven't outstayed your welcome on previous trips, therefore it should be approved no problem!

See more...

ESTA is usually a breeze for the majority of travellers Gemma - many say it was easier when travellers completed the I94 green card on the aircraft, if there was any issues at least the traveller was in immigration and Secondary interview may resolve.

It never crossed my mind I could be inadvertently flagged as an over-stayer, but to err is human. I was oblivious to my over-stay flag, my guess, as a B2 visa holder, I was allowed to travel and only became aware once in Secondary interview. The Secondary Supervisor was superb and resolved within minutes, phew!

Others have had ESTA denial connected to same name on the 'no fly' list, hence why the DHS update for ESTA applicants to now add 'names per passport' may help to reduce that issue. You'll see that update, diagram/text alongside the name question, when you go to complete ESTA

[Thorpy]

Originally Posted by anneeb

On a Facebook group that I am on, someone’s dad was denied an ESTA, despite travelling on one twice a year since they came out. He had the same name and almost the same date of birth as a person flagged as a no flight. He had to apply for a visa, luckily he always applied for an ESTA six months before travelling so it was all sorted for his trip. This isn’t the only person that I have heard of being denied an ESTA despite having one previously.

See more...

That's the absolute crux of it. If "for no fault of yours" you are refused, you are the one that stands to lose your holiday. Giving yourself time to sort it out if it crops up, protects you against this risk.

Imagine that to go on holiday you had to draw a tombola ticket, 999999 say go on holiday one says stay at home. Do you draw 6 months ahead, and have chance to draw again if you get the bad one, or do you say sod it i'm not going to get lose I'll do it the week before I go.

[ChrisS]

I'm sure I won't be the only one who remembers a Dibb lady whose hubby received a 'ESTA rescinded' email a couple of days before travel - the assumption was the airline had sent what API they had 72 hours pre-flight, he was DHS flagged and ESTA rescinded.

Unfortunately as the US was on Gov close down they were unable to reach the DHS in an attempt to resolve. They swallowed their loss and found a last minute holiday to Europe. Upon UK return (nowt said going out) a customs officer advised his passport had been UK pp office cancelled. How it wasn't detected on the way out was baffling. Once home they made further enquiries and discovered the pp office had cancelled his pp vs one that had been reported stolen, as I said, to err is human. The UK pp office covered their lost Fl holiday expenses and replaced his pp free of charge.

Bearing in mind that, generally, a computer is only as good as the person inputting the info, it's my responsibility to ensure, best I can, my travel docs are valid. Had two ESTA's prior to 2012 visa approval, a process that took circa 9 weeks from application to visa in pp.

[Cliftonite]

We normally make sure the Estas are in place when we book, but we have the complication that both mine & DD's run out March 2021 and we plan to go August 2021.

Our current Esta will obviously stop as soon as the passport expires. DD's passport is currently a child one and she will be applying for her 1st adult one in March 2021.

Has anyone experienced any "Esta difficulties" going from a child to adult passport?