The ESTA electronic travel authorization is a mandatory document for visa-exempt foreign travelers.
To be valid for customs clearance, the online ESTA form must be approved by the U.S. authorities.
Authorization is obtained in 99% of cases, but a small proportion of applicants may have their applications rejected. Which reasons for ESTA refusal ? Is it possible to apply for a new one? Does an ESTA refusal definitively close access to American soil?
We’ll give you the answers to your questions in the rest of this article.
The reasons for an ESTA refusal
ESTA authorization was introduced to guarantee the protection of the United States of America under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). This program enables foreign nationals from the 38 countries concerned to travel to the USA without a US visa.
However, as the ESTA allows visa exemption for certain nationals, they will have to fill in an online form to meet a number of eligibility criteria. This online form enables U.S. Homeland Security and its electronic systems to analyze traveler profiles with greater ease.
This means that if an applicant does not meet the eligibility criteria, the systems will refuse their ESTA application almost immediately.
In the following paragraphs, we explain the different reasons for refusing an ESTA.
On-line form entry error
The online form is divided into 3 categories: information about the traveler (valid passport details), medical or legal history and reasons for travel to the USA.
When filling in the form, it is essential that you answer each question as honestly as possible, remaining faithful to the information on your biometric or electronic passport.
As the only information that can be modified is your e-mail address and your place of residence in the United States, you will need to take the time to proofread your information before sending the form (at the risk of it becoming the cause of an cause of an ESTA refusal).
In particular, we recommend that you check :
- non-confusion of first and last names;
- passport number (essential for linking the ESTA document to your electronic or biometric passport).
The “yes” answer to the questions asked
In addition to the various categories listed on the form, you will be asked to answer a series of closed (yes/no) questions. For a request to be authorized, all answers to the questions must be negative.
If you believe that the reason for ESTA refusal, this means you are not eligible for ESTA.
Failure to comply with one or more eligibility conditions
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, to verify the profile of travelers, the U.S. government has established criteria for obtaining ESTA authorization:
- be a citizen of one of the countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP);
- have a valid passport ;
- have a return air ticket;
- stay in the United States for up to 90 days;
- travel to the USA for tourism, business or just a stopover.
If these 5 criteria are not all met, this could be one of the reasons why your reason for refusal of your ESTA.
What recourse do I have ESTA refusal ?
If the reason for ESTA refusal is due to carelessness, this will have no effect on your ESTA eligibility. You will simply have to make a new ESTA application, observing a 10-day gap between the two requests. Of course, you’ll have to pay the ESTA application fee a second time.
To apply for authorization, the procedure is similar to the first attempt. All you have to do is visit the official government site, or go to a private site that will provide you with additional assistance (particularly in verifying your information).
Once validated, your ESTA will be valid for 2 years from the date of issue. During these two years, be sure to keep an eye on your passport’s expiry date. When you renew your passport, you must also renew your ESTA.
If the reason for ESTA refusal concerns non-compliance with the conditions for obtaining the visa, or a positive answer to one of the closed questions, the only alternative is to apply for a USA visa.
To obtain a visa, you need to make an appointment in advance at the American embassy (or consulate general). The visa has more formalities and costs than an ESTA, but will enable you to live the American dream more intensely. With a visa, you can work in Los Angeles, study at an American university, do an internship in New York and much more!
If the reasons for your trip are exactly the same as for an ESTA and only the length of stay was the cause of the the reason for the ESTAwas refused, the most suitable visa is the B1 or B2.
