ESTA "Authorization Pending"

worried_jim

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%?

IronMaidenFan

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

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

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

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

Just rechecked the site and it's been approved.

peachyprice

When I did ours mine and my husbands went through fine, our 14yo daughter came back 'pending', go figure.

pollypenny

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.

StuieUK34

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 **

SW17

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

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.

sidneyhill

I had applied ESTA two months ago and still it pending process. I think it will take too much times to complete the process.