Esta Family Name Error

DTDfanBoy

Virtually all visa applications around the world request the same details, specifically " your family name as it appears in your passport "

Even if the applicant was Spanish they would still be expected to provide exactly what was requested, I've yet to see an application form that states " your family name as it appears in your passport, or if you'd prefer feel free to submit only part of the information requested "

callum9999

Voyager2002 wrote: »

I disagree with the advice above. When someone has two surnames (as shown on their passport) then the use of either one is correct. This situation is more common in Spain than in the UK and since the USA has a large Latino population their Immigration will be familiar with this kind of thing.

Be prepared to spend a few minutes explaining things on arrival, but really it is not a big deal.

An immigration official really didn't like the fact that I'd booked a coach from San Diego to Las Vegas that had a changeover in LA instead of being direct... I know I would hate to travel all that way with an incorrectly completed ESTA that does not fulfil entry requirements on the presumption that it will just take a couple of minutes to explain on arrival then all will be fine!

jackieblack

ESTA gives permission to travel, not to enter the country.
It's possible that the airline won't even let her fly without ESTA in the correct name.

Nick_C

My partner has 4 surnames, but only uses the last of them. I only use the last name when booking flights, but concur that all 4 names should be entered on the ESTA.

We have had his passport scrutinised by a supervisor when checking in in the UK. I tried using all 4 names when booking with Virgin Atlantic, and their system strips out the spaces, so it impossible with Virgin to have the passenger name matching the name on the passport!

mgdavid

Nick_C wrote: »

My partner has 4 surnames, but only uses the last of them. I only use the last name when booking flights, but concur that all 4 names should be entered on the ESTA.

We have had his passport scrutinised by a supervisor when checking in in the UK. I tried using all 4 names when booking with Virgin Atlantic, and their system strips out the spaces, so it impossible with Virgin to have the passenger name matching the name on the passport!

what happens if you use the British convention of using hyphens between each part of the surname?

InsideInsurance

mgdavid wrote: »

what happens if you use the British convention of using hyphens between each part of the surname?

Who says they are British?

geek_girl

Also be aware that you may have an issue at US immigration if when they connect the same passport number with two different ESTA's.

I had a slightly different situation where I had an ESTA in my old passport number that had not expired, realized I lost it, and had to get an ESTA in the new passport number. Every time I entered the US (quite frequently at the time) I was called to secondary screening whilst they investigated their records. Was eventually processed every time but sometimes added up to 3 hours on the immigration process. I had to write to Homeland for redress - explaining what had happened - and now have no issue.

I would imagine a similar situation may arise if you were to have two ESTA persons for the one passport number whereas mine was two passports for the one person

DTDfanBoy

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Who says they are British?

I'm not English but normally communicate using it, perhaps I need to rethink matters

jackieblack

geek_girl wrote: »

Also be aware that you may have an issue at US customs if when they connect the same passport number with two different ESTA's.

Customs is just one form per family, so they wouldn't know

geek_girl wrote: »

I had a slightly different situation where I had an ESTA in my old passport number that had not expired, realized I lost it, and had to get an ESTA in the new passport number. Every time I entered the US (quite frequently at the time) I was called to secondary screening whilst they investigated their records. Was eventually processed every time but sometimes added up to 3 hours on the immigration process. I had to write to Homeland for redress - explaining what had happened - and now have no issue.

I would imagine a similar situation may arise if you were to have two ESTA persons for the one passport number whereas mine was two passports for the one person

That was immigration.... not customs

geek_girl

jackieblack wrote: »

Customs is just one form per family, so they wouldn't know


That was immigration.... not customs

I am aware of that - it was a lazy use of the word however I'm sure the information I was imparting was still clear to the normal user.

I will go back and correct for the pedants of the world.