Given the circumstances of your application and the recent change of US law, I think it is most likely that your ESTA application has landed on someone’s desk for review by a human being.
The new law makes people who have visited Iraq since 2011 ineligible for an ESTA, with some exceptions. I think it is most likely that someone is meant to determine whether you qualify for one of the exceptions.
Under the new law, the Secretary of Homeland Security may waive these restrictions if he determines that such a waiver is in the law enforcement or national security interests of the United States. Such waivers will be granted only on a case-by-case basis. As a general matter, categories of travelers who may be eligible for a waiver include:
- Individuals who traveled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria on behalf of international organizations, regional organizations, and sub-national governments on official duty;
- Individuals who traveled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria on behalf of a humanitarian NGO on official duty; and
- Individuals who traveled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria as a journalist for reporting purposes;
- Individuals who traveled to Iran for legitimate business-related purposes following the conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (July 14, 2015); and
- Individuals who have traveled to Iraq for legitimate business-related purposes.
Is being a lecturer a legitimate business-related purpose? It might be, or it might not be. This seems to me to be the most likely thing holding up your application.
The obvious thing to do is to wait. But if your travel date is fast approaching, there might be some things you can try:
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
5 Mar, 2024
4 Mar, 2024