fruitcage

Starting a dispute (and that is what a chargeback does) with the US government over $14 seems like madness, and could easily create problems for future applications.

chriswiles

Sort of slightly off topic, but how does this affect a valid 10-year B1 work visa?

I was supposed to travel to the US on 26 March on business, using my visa, which clearly isn't going to happen now (and the flight is cancelled anyhow). My plan was to simply wait until the UK ban is lifted, which I suspect won't be until June.

Not heard anything about the visa being suspended/cancelled, so hoping and assuming it just continues as normal when I need to use it next?

Confus

B1 is a Business visa, rather than Work. A subtle but important difference.
No impact yet on B1/2 visas, they remain valid. I imagine if anyone were stupid enough to try to enter then they would find themselves in difficulty, but otherwise valid as normal in future. Important to add that any UK holder of a B1 *is* still permitted to enter using it, providing they have not been in any ‘off limits’ country in the last 14 days. There will be plenty who still qualify.

IFE Wizard

I received the notice a couple of days ago.

Am I the only one here that believes the wording when checking the validity of the ESTA "Application Expired" refers only to the period when you actually APPLY for the ESTA. I.e. they have issued you an ESTA and now your APPLICATION has expired.

Can some one on this board, who has no bookings during this lockdown and not flown to the US in the past month, please check their validity and report back on the response given.

Just checked the paperwork for my GE.
States "Application in progress" you have no applications in progress.
Below this is states "Program Membership Approved"

UKtravelbear

No the OP said (because I specifically asked the question) that their application was approved last September and they had entered the US several times between then and a couple of weeks ago.

I checked my ESTA earlier today and it was all normal. I was due to fly to JFK last Tuersday on AY but I cancelled the flight last Thursday so given this thread I was concened my ESTA might be cancelled because the flight was scheduled for after the imposition of the Schengen Area Ban.

chriswiles

I know the difference, it's more of a cultural use of the word 'work' which I can't get away from. In the North of England we'd say 'I'm going with work' or 'I'm going for work' as in my employer. Often we'll say 'I'm going to work' meaning 'I'm going to my place of work'. It's sort of a catch-all term.

But the US sees that term as physical work and the in the South, it's also deemed closer to physical work. Since I moved to the South I definitely noticed it's not used in quite the same context!

That's what I thought re. the B1 after reading the ban. A Brit with a B1 (or B2) can't get in. I can't see this changing for a long while - June at the earliest. The US seems to be reacting worse than Britain right now, according to my US friends.

Confus

Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough in my previous post, but that’s not at all what I meant, and is not true. A person - of any nationality - travelling from the UK on a B1 visa will not be permitted entry to the US. A Brit - or indeed person of any nationality - holding a B1 visa and travelling from a country not on the prohibited list WILL be permitted entry. There’s plenty of Brits in the Caymans, for example, who are fine. Earlier this week someone here was told specifically by the CBP that as a Brit if they needed to enter the US soon they should travel first to a third ‘safe’ country and wait there for a fortnight before travelling on.

chriswiles

Yes, clear and yes I realised that after reading the visa requirements on the US website.

HighlandPark

Does anyone know if this is still happening? I have a flight to the US next week which I rang up to cancel last week but which is still showing in MMB. Am slightly worried that if it's still showing as an active booking BA will send my details across and my ESTA will end up being cancelled. For obvious reasons I'm reluctant to waste the time of the call centre on this (I've tried to remove my passport details from the booking but wasn't able to because it wouldn't accept blank entries in place of real details). Thanks for any help that can be offered on this!

corporate-wage-slave

Change some of the passport numbers around, your date of birth and API name if you are not intending to travel, this is still going on. If you are looking for a cash refund you best cancel at the last moment, however.

UKtravelbear

What does it actually say when you go into the actual booking not just the first screen on MMB?

i.e. go into the actual 'manage my booking' link within the booking

I have a flight that I know has been cancelled but on the front screen of MMB looks 'live' but going into it it states it has been cancelled.

HighlandPark

It says the flights are operating (I've been rebooked from flights that were cancelled onto flights that are still operating - which, in this case, is a bit of a nuisance!). So it looks as if the cancellation of my booking is still stuck in a queue.

KeaneJohn

Call BA tomorrow, it’s been possible to get through to BA instantly over the weekend.

HighlandPark

Just a quick update on this, and thank you to everyone who has commented.

I rang BA again, and got through quite quickly. The very helpful agent I spoke to told me that for some reason the cancellation I asked for last week didn't get done. She dealt with it over the phone, and MMB now shows no flights and says that a cancellation and refund is being processed. I'm hoping that this will be enough to prevent my details being sent across and my ESTA cancelled!

SlyFly

I have just checked and my wife and I appear to be in the same situation with cancelled ESTAs. Mine I only bought at the start of March and never used so will try the charge back route if I don't get anywhere with the Customs and Border Protection Traveler Communication Center. They have just stated the same text as previously posted from the FAQ so far. They said the trip needs to be cancelled or postponed otherwise the ESTA will be cancelled. I have said I can provide proof of cancellation and thus the ESTA should not be cancelled and it is probably just an IT issue. I have requested re-instatement if there is no possibility of refund. I will let you know if I get anywhere, though I doubt it.