ESTA, US clarifies given name requirement

[Bodacia]

If I hadn’t come across this site I would have been non the wiser about the ESTA. I would have simply done what I have always done for upcoming trips and that is to apply, wait for the applications to be approved, printed them out then put them in my ever expanding folder of documents that we now need to take.

I appreciate there are many more informed people on here that know the ins and outs of what to do when holidaying in the states, but I cant help but feel that threads like this only add to the stress of planning a holiday.

I will not be doing anything else with our ESTAs apart from taking the printed out versions that I did last November before booking my holiday.

Surely if everyone who had a valid ESTA had to now reapply because they may have omitted a middle name, there would be some way of being informed about such an important issue, and them not just hoping we ‘come across’ it on sites like this?

[maylaitt]

If we decide to redo estas because of omitted middle names do you just reapply or do you have to cancel?

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by maylaitt

If we decide to redo estas because of omitted middle names do you just reapply or do you have to cancel?

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Maylaitt - as you travel soon you'll likely face no issues, especially as the US are yet to update enforce. My brother is unconcerned and intends travel in July on his early 2018 approved ESTA.

If you decide to re-apply, at the point of the application where you're advised you hold valid ESTA, you confirm you want to continue.

[wheety1621]

After seeing this and by doing a dummy application on ESTA website I saw the change regarding “all given names”... I do think it’s still confusing - why put First (Given) Name in the box but then say whilst clicking on the ? say give all names as it appears on the passport - surely better to put all given names on the box to avoid confusion.

I went to my British Airways API which I’d already completed and I’m sure they’ve changed that now to say all given names (where as before I’m sure it just said Forename) so I’ve changed the API for my partner to include his 2 middle names and then done a new ESTA. Annoyingly I’d just redone our ESTAs in March ready for our NYC trip at Christmas. But I’d rather the $14 charge now than problems at check in or at immigration in the US.

I do wonder if this could have been why my partner was pulled into secondary immigration at MCO last summer? Or was it just the grumpy officer who seemed to be sending everyone there? Who knows.

Thanks Dibb!

[Wordsworth]

Just as a data point, my husband entered the US two days ago (via Canada) on an ESTA approved June 2018 with no middle name included. No issue at all. That was the third time he’s entered the US on this ESTA without a problem - previously once at JFK, and once at Tampa.

We will likely not be travelling to the US again before it expires, at which point we’ll reapply.

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by Wordsworth

Just as a data point, my husband entered the US two days ago (via Canada) on an ESTA approved June 2018 with no middle name included. No issue at all. That was the third time he’s entered the US on this ESTA without a problem - previously once at JFK, and once at Tampa.

We will likely not be travelling to the US again before it expires, at which point we’ll reapply.

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As it appears the US are not yet enforcing travel documents name match, your husband/other travellers, are unlikely to face issues.

If making ESTA application now the pp diagram makes US requirements clear.

[Mickey Mouse 69]

Originally Posted by tomdan

Mickey mouse 69. Let us know how you get on, have a fantastic holiday

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The 3 of us have different surnames,but apart from asking us when was the last time we were here we were straight through

[tomdan]

Originally Posted by Mickey Mouse 69

The 3 of us have different surnames,but apart from asking us when was the last time we were here we were straight through

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Thanks, enjoy your holiday

[Limprib81]

Has there been any stories of people refused entry due to not having the middle name on their ESTA, I would imagine there are still ESTA's been submitted now without the middle name on...

[Thorpy]

Originally Posted by Limprib81

Has there been any stories of people refused entry due to not having the middle name on their ESTA, I would imagine there are still ESTA's been submitted now without the middle name on...

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Not that I've heard.