USA flights bookings and ESTA query

Old Apr 22, 2021, 1:55 am
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by layz
Would it be possible to go to a OW hub outside of Schengen (e.g. DOH) stay there 14 days and then fly to the US or are there other restrictions in addition to the ESTA we need to think about?

Hopefully when I'm due to travel (August) it won't be needed and also things may have changed a lot by then.
does it have to be an ow hub?
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Old Apr 22, 2021, 2:21 am
  #32  
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Originally Posted by Definitas
both I and Mrs Definitas were told at our GE interviews (by the same HS employee) that our GE would automatically expire if we didnt have a valid ESTA and that we should renew our ESTA in advance of them expiring. I am now thinking that he perhaps misled us given the experience of others on this thread.
I was told something similar many years ago, although I enquired at a higher level about 18 months ago and was told this is not the case. My ESTA expired in September, my GE remained active, and I applied got and immediately received a new ESTA in March and entered the US without any issues.
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Old Apr 22, 2021, 2:49 am
  #33  
 
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I have travelled to the U.S. seven times since last September. I have a British passport, ESTA, and an American spouse.

On just one of those trips I had an ESTA issue. Shortly after OLCI opened (not that you can do OLCI on these routes) I received an email from the CBP saying my ESTA had expired (not was cancelled). The CBP guy at LHR made his usual checks to allow me to fly, and also "fixed" the expired ESTA. No ramifications to my Global Entry.

On the other six trips there has been no issue.
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Old Apr 22, 2021, 11:35 am
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by tjcxx
I have travelled to the U.S. seven times since last September. I have a British passport, ESTA, and an American spouse.
Im about to book a trip with the same situation.

Aware this may be a stupid question but... do you need to do anything to make clear the situation? e.g Is being on the same PNR what is used?

Well be travelling with two youngsters so minimising other forms of stress is always welcome :-)
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Old Apr 22, 2021, 11:36 am
  #35  
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Originally Posted by londonsmiler
Im about to book a trip with the same situation.

Aware this may be a stupid question but... do you need to do anything to make clear the situation? e.g Is being on the same PNR what is used?

Well be travelling with two youngsters so minimising other forms of stress is always welcome :-)
Sorry, not sure I understand what you mean.
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Old Apr 22, 2021, 11:41 am
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by LondonElite
Sorry, not sure I understand what you mean.
I could indeed have been a lot clearer let me rephrase.

Is there anything I should/could do to avoid any issues of my ESTA being cancelled / hold ups at the airport while trying to travel to the US on a British passport. For example, do I need to ensure I am on the same booking as my US citizen wife.
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Old Apr 22, 2021, 12:59 pm
  #37  
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Originally Posted by londonsmiler
I could indeed have been a lot clearer let me rephrase.

Is there anything I should/could do to avoid any issues of my ESTA being cancelled / hold ups at the airport while trying to travel to the US on a British passport. For example, do I need to ensure I am on the same booking as my US citizen wife.
No, none of that matters, but are you permitted to enter the US?

Sorry, just noticed that your wife is a US citizen.
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Old Apr 22, 2021, 1:47 pm
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by londonsmiler
Im about to book a trip with the same situation.

Aware this may be a stupid question but... do you need to do anything to make clear the situation? e.g Is being on the same PNR what is used?

Well be travelling with two youngsters so minimising other forms of stress is always welcome :-)
I worried the first time I did it. And I was travelling on my own. In your case, with your U.S. citizen wife travelling with you, you just need your marriage certificate, or photocopy of it. The last time I flew, I didn't even need to see the CBP guy at LHR. The check-in lady dealt with him over the phone. One word of warning -- on arrival at the U.S. airport, you will most likely have to go off to the secondary inspection room. This is normal at the moment, and shouldn't concern you. You will just need to show the marriage certificate again.
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Old Aug 22, 2021, 8:19 am
  #39  
 
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I flew LHR-SFO on 28th August. My ESTA was automatically cancelled 5 hours before departure time. I was a little worried about entering the USA as I'm a UK citizen in a same-sex marriage with a US citizen. Thankfully, the process of getting my ESTA reinstatement was very smooth. I just needed to have my married certificate verified at the BA check-in desk. This took around 15 minutes and involved the BA calling the US Homeland security representative for the verification. The check-in staff then updated my details, and my boarding pass was printed with 'Homeland Approved ESTA' on the pass.

On arrival in SFO went through the normal passport check process at the booth. Was then politely escorted to a secondary area where my wedding certificate was checked and approved by another custom and border protection officer - all done in under 10 minutes.
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Old Aug 25, 2021, 10:39 am
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Originally Posted by MarvelUK
I flew LHR-SFO on 28th August. My ESTA was automatically cancelled 5 hours before departure time. I was a little worried about entering the USA as I'm a UK citizen in a same-sex marriage with a US citizen. Thankfully, the process of getting my ESTA reinstatement was very smooth. I just needed to have my married certificate verified at the BA check-in desk. This took around 15 minutes and involved the BA calling the US Homeland security representative for the verification. The check-in staff then updated my details, and my boarding pass was printed with 'Homeland Approved ESTA' on the pass.

On arrival in SFO went through the normal passport check process at the booth. Was then politely escorted to a secondary area where my wedding certificate was checked and approved by another custom and border protection officer - all done in under 10 minutes.

Glad to read this as I am due to travel tomorrow to MIA with my U.S spouse and have just had notification my ESTA has expired (it was valid through to Jan 2022). At this point am I correct in saying I should not apply for a new one and let the U.S. Homeland rep 'fix' it tomorrow at T5?

Pilot37
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Old Aug 25, 2021, 1:30 pm
  #41  
 
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Originally Posted by Pilot37
Glad to read this as I am due to travel tomorrow to MIA with my U.S spouse and have just had notification my ESTA has expired (it was valid through to Jan 2022). At this point am I correct in saying I should not apply for a new one and let the U.S. Homeland rep 'fix' it tomorrow at T5?

Pilot37
Yes that is exactly correct. The time it happened to me the CBP guy was very glad I hadn't applied for a new one. "The wrong thing to do" he said.

You should find the ESTA back to the active state with its original expiry once it has been dealt with.
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Old Sep 2, 2021, 3:02 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by tjcxx
Yes that is exactly correct. The time it happened to me the CBP guy was very glad I hadn't applied for a new one. "The wrong thing to do" he said.

You should find the ESTA back to the active state with its original expiry once it has been dealt with.
Thanks tjcxx, all went smoothly (albeit a longer check-in experience then usual) and the secondary at MIA was pretty quick. You mention travelling by yourself to the U.S. - apart from the marriage cert, what else is usually required to enable you to travel and do you get asked the purpose of your trip often? (I could say I am visiting family / but with this opportunity now open to me, could I do some TP runs if I wanted?)

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Old Sep 3, 2021, 1:42 am
  #43  
 
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Originally Posted by Pilot37
do you get asked the purpose of your trip often?
Pilot37
I always get what must be the standard question -- what is the purpose of your visit..? I always travel on ESTA WT so must look like a regular tourist. I answer to spend time with my wife, she lives here, she a U.S. citizen. Sometimes I'm asked to explain more. Occasionally there's a flash of humour -- one guy, after I explained we spent more time apart, said "where do I sign up?"

None of that has changed in the past year.
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Old Sep 10, 2021, 8:19 am
  #44  
 
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All these reports about people's ESTA being canceled prior to travel got me worried. We are planning to, hopefully, finally visit family in the USA. As a spouse of a U.S. citizen, I fall within the exception and can transit the 'banned' countries. As a Ukrainian national, I require an actual visa rather than an ESTA. So, I will be flying on the B visa. Has anyone heard about any instances of the CBP canceling visas before travel due to travelling from/transiting the countries in the Proclamation? I understand that ESTA is easy to reapply for, but a visa can only be obtained at an Embassy. I don't think there is a way to advise the airline in advance about the exception. If I get to the check-in desk I can show all of the documents, but with people's ESTA being canceled hours before the flight, I am now worried.
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Old Sep 10, 2021, 12:27 pm
  #45  
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The process is very different, so no, your B visa won't be cancelled. That's a physical document, so while there are some circumstances when B and similar visas can get cancelled (e.g. due to another visa being issued in a newer passport) this would only happen after arrival in the USA, wouldn't happen in your case and isn't usually an adverse outcome. I have travelled to the USA on B-1 and A-2 visas without issue in recent months.

The reason for ESTA cancellation is about passenger flows and airline procedures in submitting API data to the DHS. Visas are different in terms of API data flow.
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