New Guide Discussion: Beat the impending ESTA charge

ferf1223

jackie71 wrote: »

Hi Ive just read with interest about the fee that the usa government are imposing for traverling into the US from September 2010. We are looking into travelling to disney next year so it would be beneficial to apply for this now but when Ive looked at the form they want to know travel destination dates as we have not actually booked up yet can we still apply and then I guess this information could be updated using the reference number given at a later date?

Only the fields marked by * on the form are mandatory...I don't think the application asks for dates - just destination, carrier and flight number, but again, these are not mandatory...make sure you are going through the official government site...you don't have to update the information at this point - they may make the additional info mandatory but it's not at this point.

kelloggs36

We did ours already and we don't travel until next July - we ignored the dates and destination, and it was fine!

brightonman123

i applied last week, and just tried to check progess, though the site is not recognising the applications ref? have tried different varitions, no joy..

i cannot see any email address the get help..

would it count against me, if i tried again?

dzug1

brightonman123 wrote: »

i applied last week, and just tried to check progess, though the site is not recognising the applications ref? have tried different varitions, no joy..

i cannot see any email address the get help..

would it count against me, if i tried again?

If it's not recognising the reference you either copied it down wrong or the application failed for some reason.

I don't think it will be a problem to retry

ferf1223

brightonman123 wrote: »

i applied last week, and just tried to check progess, though the site is not recognising the applications ref? have tried different varitions, no joy..

i cannot see any email address the get help..

would it count against me, if i tried again?

Agree with dzug...are you sure you submitted the application? It gives you the reference number and then you submit - so it could be you thought you were done and weren't. The help section says:

I'm trying to retrieve my ESTA application, but get a message "No Application Found"


You probably didn't finish completing the application. As soon as you saw the application number you may have thought you were done and didn't continue on to the next page which would give you your travel authorization status. You have to complete the application fully or it won't be registered in the ESTA system. Please reapply, and follow through to the travel authorization status page.

aceyoung

How can you fill out the ESTA if you are only thinking about a trip and don't have a flight number etc?? The form asks for your flight number
Also, I was in america a few months ago and used an ESTA. Does that mean I don't need another?

Former_MSE_Archna

Hi aceyoung, the travel info is optional, you can get your esta without it.

If your Esta's still valid you can still extend it so you get the maximum before the charge comes into effect, you'll need to do a new application though, you can't renew the old one.

noahmagnus54

I tried to fill in the ESTA form to-day want a payment of $45 I thought it was free
HELP

Widow57

If I complete the form, do I still have to attend an interview at the US Embassy in London?

Widow57

that's because you went to the US site, you want the one in the UK - I made the same mistake!