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ESTA "Authorization Pending"

I'm off to Florida in November (booked this week) and I've just completed my ESTA and I've got "Authorization Pending" which has surprised me as "Once an ESTA form has been submitted, the application is then queried against US law enforcement databases. However, this only takes a few seconds, with the vast majority of applications determined within 4 seconds (99.6% approved in this time according to the US Embassy in London)."

I'm in the .4%- gulp!

My paranoia has gone through the roof!

Anyone else been in the 4%?
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Comments

  • This happened to me a couple of years ago. I checked back on the website a few hours later and the status had changed to Authorization Approved. Other times its been approved immediately. I wouldn't worry, their website is probably busy!
  • PeacefulWaters
    PeacefulWaters Posts: 8,495 Forumite
    Happened to me twice. Sorted next working day. I reckon they're less successful on weekends.

    Keep a screenshot of the reference number.
  • worried_jim
    worried_jim Posts: 11,631 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Happened to me twice. Sorted next working day. I reckon they're less successful on weekends.

    Keep a screenshot of the reference number.

    Yep done this. Glad it's not just me. Last time I went to the US was 2008 on the same passport but have been to Turkey and Egypt loads since then.

    Do they email me once approved or do I need to check back?
  • worried_jim
    worried_jim Posts: 11,631 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Just rechecked the site and it's been approved.
  • peachyprice
    peachyprice Posts: 22,346 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 27 March 2017 at 7:07AM
    When I did ours mine and my husbands went through fine, our 14yo daughter came back 'pending', go figure.
    Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear
  • pollypenny
    pollypenny Posts: 29,441 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    It's happened to me twice, while OH's went straight through.

    The first time I was paranoid, too, and kept checking for an email that didn't appear, of course. :D
    Member #14 of SKI-ers club

    Words, words, they're all we have to go by!.

    (Pity they are mangled by this autocorrect!)
  • StuieUK34
    StuieUK34 Posts: 2,109 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 27 March 2017 at 12:35PM
    happened to me last week, and this is my 3rd ESTA!
    my passport expired this year, so I renewed my passport, and applied for a new ESTA, but my existing ESTA still had 1 month remaining, and my passport number is different to my last one....
    So still pending!


    ** now its Auth'd :D:D **
  • SW17
    SW17 Posts: 872 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    In most cases it is approved immediately, but the approval doesn't always show just by refreshing the page. Logging out and back into the application again usually fixes it, though of course there are some that genuinely do remain pending.
  • FBaby
    FBaby Posts: 18,374 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I had a pending too, assumed it was normal procedure. It was a group application and one party had double nationality, maybe that's what it was, or most likely indeed done over the week-end.
  • I had applied ESTA two months ago and still it pending process. I think it will take too much times to complete the process.
This discussion has been closed.
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