iquitos

^

Kiwi Flyer

Sorry for not being clear enough. You do not need the address information recorded on your ESTA. Simply remove it from your NZ ESTA. That would seem to solve your "problem" of not wanting to edit travel information for each trip.

Ari

You might confuse them which will not necessarily, but could cause problems and take more time for them to sort it out. It could also be non-issue.

It is your choice-- I don't see a legal issue or something like that as long as you tell them and have both passports with you.

That's not a reason, that's a complex. If you want to, you can use it. I told you what would be easier. If you want to exercise your 'right' to use either passport, then feel free. By the way, you don't have a 'right' to enter the US under either passport.

All those records are kept esentially forever. I honestly don't see a problem if you tell them upfront you are using a different passport and have a valid ESTA for it. I'd bring both passports and both ESTA printouts.

We don't care for those measures either.

Not if you tell them upfront what you are doing. That's the answer. You have a valid ESTA and a valid passport (two of each, actually) and as long as you tell them upfront before you actually attempt to enter they aren't going to have a problem. They'll either say yes, or ask you to use your NZ passport. If you want to so it 'sub-rosa' then I can't tell you if you will have a problem or not. I think you posted your question in the right place and hopefully you will get an answer.

celle

Thanks, all!

If I get any response from the CBP web site, I'll post the information.

Kiwiflyer - I'll probably end up doing it as you suggest, but I've got interested in the theoretical question now - it's become a sort of "what if?"

Silver Fox

Blimey celle, in these days of travel "security", don't make waves ! I understand the need/wish/desire to have the flexibility to use two passports as is your right (my wife is in the same boat as you) and we decided early on that in order not to raise any flags that could potentially inconvenience us, that she would always enter the US on the NZ passport and the UK on the UK passport and only have one ESTA - the thought of having two in the system then using different passports as and when you feel like it would be too much for CBP, certainly at SFO imho, as they can barely cope with one passport, one ESTA.

jiejie

Or you could fly NZ-UK in the other direction, completely avoiding the US and thus the question of double-ESTA's entirely.

Ari

That's the best idea. ^

(I'm sure the OP has some reason to go through the US).

GUWonder

Your first sentence above is the DHS and retained contractors' dream, but it doesn't always work like that. Accenture had plenty of problems and it and the others involved still do have plenty of problems.

Your second sentence above is amongst the things celle wants to know.

GUWonder

Some people with dual nationalities and passports from both countries have had to alternate nationality-displayed with different ESTAs on different trips as a result of the name/naming convention on some tickets matching that listed in one country's passport but not in the other country's passport. That's just one of the situations where this comes up. Such "swapping" may or may not be flagged by the systems used by DHS or even State, depending on a variety of things that would require writing a much longer post with more caveats than I care to at this location. Often enough, they'd have no clue. And sometimes they get clued-in long after the trips are completed.

celle

That is what we usually do - much prefer going through Asia - but there is a reason for going through the US this time.

celle

Thanks to all who tried to help with my questions.

Below is the response I have just received from the CBP web site:

"Recently you requested personal assistance from our on-line support center. Below is a summary of your request and our response.

If this issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may reopen it within the next 7 days.

Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.

Subject
I have dual nationality. Both nationalities are with visa-waiver countries. . . .

Discussion Thread
Response (Ralph) 01/05/2010 02:42 PM
Can I apply for an ESTA to be attached to the passport of my other nationality (Passport 2)and use that passport to enter the US?

No, but you may apply for another unique ESTA authorization on the second passport. Part of the search criteria to find your ESTA status with either the airlines or my fellow officers is based partially on the passport number.


Can I apply for an ESTA to be attached to the passport of my other nationality (Passport 2)and use that passport to enter the US?

Yes you may. While US law does not "recognize" dual citizenship, it does "acknowledge" it. (Short version of the law - we don't have it, but we know others do)


Would getting an ESTA for Passport 2 invalidate the ESTA I have for passport 1?
No, the two records will never collide due to the difference in nationality.


Will there be a problem using Passport 2 if my fingerprints show as belonging to Passport 1?
Your fingerprints always belong to you and not the documents involved. We would see all prior encounters regardless of past or current declared nationality, or identity.


For myself and fellow officers, everything you have concerns about are what we would consider normal day to day occurrences.

Have a safe journey."

I thought that was a pretty satisfactory (and prompt) response. I'm impressed!

Ari

I have to say, I agree. ^^^

GUWonder

Nice to see a prompt and pretty thorough response.

The DHS/CBP's claim in that last sentence is not necessarily a given.

[The US doesn't prohibit US citizens from being dual-nationals -- we just will only officially recognize a US citizen's US nationality. This practice of the US is quite common for countries that don't have a prohibition against their nationals holding their citizenship and that of another country at the same time. Other countries have a prohibition against their citizens being dual-nationals -- this kind of ban covers substantial populations in places in Africa and in Asia that were once ruled by Europeans.]

iquitos

ask and ye shall receive. now we know.

Cappuccino

Apologies if this has been asked before but I have NZ and British passports. My current ESTA for the USA is in my British passport. I will be leaving Australia in a couple of week's time to travel to the UK via AKL and LAX.

Which passport should I check in for my flight from Australia with (I believe it should be my NZ passport as that has given me unrestricted time in Australia)?
Or should I offer up both passports at check in and just explain the ESTA status?
Or does it not matter about the check in departure airport but more important for when I arrive in LAX and show them my British passport?