You must apply for an ESTA online to enter the USA after 12 Jan 2009

sturll

shadowspy24 wrote: »

Thanks. i was looking for this. I am going next so i will apply in a couple of days. The number of websites trying to charge you $50 is ridiculous, i can only assume lots of people actually fall for it.

Yes they must be thick.

When you type in ESTA into google its the first result!

ferf1223

sturll wrote: »

Yes they must be thick.

When you type in ESTA into google its the first result!

I noticed that too...couldn't work out how people were getting to the scammer's websites if the official website is the first hit...and several below it are legit and will direct to the official site. It's the not until you get to the 6th hit down at present where it starts to pick up the dodgy sites.

luci

No, the official site is not the first result in Google. It's the first UNSPONSORED result. The first 3 results are all sponsored.

I understand what you mean though as I too never look at the sponsored results and ignore them without even realising it.

ferf1223

ah, fair enough...I see you're absolutely right on all counts - they are there, but I also never pay any attention to the sponsored links.

ferf1223

dontdoit wrote: »

Not everyone uses, or likes, google though.

Yahoo.co.uk is an example where it doesn't even appear on the front page

which is that much more reason to use Google...since it brings up the most appropriate sites earlier in the unsponsored results list.

alanrowell

dontdoit wrote: »

Not everyone uses, or likes, google though.

Yahoo.co.uk is an example where it doesn't even appear on the front page

it does - right at the bottom after half a dozen companies offering "assistance" with the application process

shadowspy24

sturll wrote: »

Yes they must be thick.

When you type in ESTA into google its the first result!

Well actually i typed in something else along the lines of "Going to america" so only the scam websites came up but i knew there was a free one so i then typed in ESTA and the free one came up. I then dug out this thread to make sure it was the right one. So i wouldn't be surprised if someone does get scammed, i probably would have if i did read about this when this thread first started (well actually if i didn't read this when the thread first started i never would have known and proably would have been sent back to the UK lol).

maisydaisy_2

Any help or advice anyone can give me would really be appreciated. My partner & i have just booked a holiday to florida & tried to apply online for esta, his was refused because of Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude! He committed robbery when he was 17, his only offence & he,s now 49! Ive been reading through this site & found this quote-

(I) the crime was committed when the alien was under 18 years of age, and the crime was committed (and the alien released from any confinement to a prison or correctional institution imposed for the crime) more than 5 years before the date of application for a visa or other documentation and the date of application for admission to the United States, or

Does this mean that he could have applied for esta & said no to question involving moral turpitude as he was a juvenille & it was so long ago?

Thanks for any info you very helpfull people can provide, im getting pretty desperate as we are due to travel in 3 weeks.

Stephb1986_2

I just thought I would have a look at this because I'm thinking of booking for New York in November.

Should I apply for the ESTA now or closer to the date?

the reason I'm asking is because my OH got in trouble some time ago about 7-8 years roughly.

He made a gun he was done with making a firearm, possession of a firearm and also possession of cannabis. He got community service for it.

So on the ESTA for question 2 will he have to answer yes? as I noticed the lady above having problems with her husband.

Many thanks

Steph xx

Stephb1986_2

dontdoit wrote: »

Thats a trip to the consulate. IMO its doubtful he'd be issued with a visa.

Even if it were just the cannabis offence, there is only one exception you could use, and that is

"for less than 30 grams of marijuana, and more than 15 years have passed since the offence."

He was only just 18 when it happened. Is it really that serious?