WHAT IS AN ESTA PENDING AUTHORIZATION?
You’re planning to travel to the USA, so you’ve filled in your ESTA form online. Problem: the answer you get is confusing: authorization pending. What does this mean? Is an ESTA pending systematically refused? We’ll help you sort it out.
WHAT IS THE PENDING ESTA?
The good news is that a pending ESTA is not necessarily a sign of refusal. It simply means that you cannot expect an immediate response, but that you will receive one within 72 hours. Now you know why it’s best not to apply at the last minute!
A pending ESTA can be explained by three factors:
- the official government website where ESTA applications are made is experiencing too much traffic, so the US authorities need more time to process applications;
- more thorough checks are scheduled from time to time and are completely random;
- the answers given on your form or questionnaire require closer attention and possible verification.
At this stage, there’s nothing you can do but wait for a definitive answer. You are asked to log on to the government website within 72 hours and click on the “Check ESTA status” tab. To proceed, you’ll need your application number, passport number and date of birth.
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF A PENDING ESTA?
If an ESTA application is pending, there are two possible outcomes: authorization is granted or denied.
Accepted authorization gives you permission to travel to the USA, so you can buy your plane ticket and organize your stay in the USA.
Please note that the ESTA is a travel authorization, not an authorization to enter the USA. The decision to let you enter the United States rests with the immigration officer at the port of entry. To make this decision, he or she may ask you a number of questions about the nature of your trip to the United States, or check your documents, in particular your return or onward ticket within the 90 days granted by the ESTA authorization.
A refused authorization is of course the worst-case scenario, but it may not be definitive.
The U.S. authorities do not give reasons for their refusal, but if you discover that you have made a typing error on the ESTA form (typing error or data different from what is entered on the passport, such as married name instead of maiden name), you can reapply.
Making a new application means following the same procedure (carefully checking all the information provided) and paying the ESTA fee again.
Be careful not to give false information just to obtain an ESTA! The U.S. government may not only refuse you entry, but also impose administrative and criminal penalties.
If a pending ESTA turns into a refusal based on non-compliance with an eligibility condition (biometric passport or electronic passport, nationality of a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program, Iraqi, Syrian or Sudanese nationality, yes answer to one of the closed questions on the questionnaire, etc.), then the only option is to apply for a visa at the US embassy. Visa applications take much longer than ESTA.