I'm a British citizen and ESTA keeps not authorizing me to travel to the United States
- By
- Aparna Patel
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- 28 Jul, 2023
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It’s almost always because of one of these three reasons:
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The most obvious reason, and can get you in trouble, plus banned from entering forever, and that is lying, or falsifying information.
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The most common reason is that when you make a mistake on the ESTA application somewhere. They ask for a lot of little details, and a wrong dash, or single forgotten letter can lead to denial. My French friend was denied entry because an
ilooked like anl, which is absurd, but it’s the way it works. It also took her two years to figure that out. Really it’s ridiculous how picky they are. -
This is the most likely reason. You spent time in a country/region where you were you may have been introduced to radical religious beliefs, or may met people from a terrorist organization. They don’t clearly say that this is a reason, but it’s pretty obvious if you read US official documentation on the ESTA. The United States takes security extremely seriously since September 11th of 2001.
It’s not uncommon for someone to be denied an ESTA, and to get in on a visa, however, visas can take a long time to get.
My advice is start the visa process A.S.A.P.
There are many possible reasons for rejection. For one, having a UK passport is not enough unless you also "have the unrestricted right of permanent abode in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man." You also may not have traveled to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011. (See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html) There may be other factors.
But whatever you do, do not try to reapply by concealing or changing any information that you think may have been a problem on previous tries, unless you can clearly explain why the previous information was incorrect.
You need to get a reading on your specific circumstances from the US State Department (try your nearest consulate) or apply for a visa.
Your birth country may be (is likely to be) the reason, British citizenship does not guarantee approval.
If a traveler is denied ESTA and his or her circumstances have not changed, a new application will also be denied. You have no option but to apply for a nonimmigrant visa if you want to go to the US.
See eg ESTA – Application denied
- The most difficult countries to travel in?
- What are some things to know when going on your first international trip?
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
