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

whatajoke1

Salmonrushdi wrote: »

I earlier this year successfully got my ESTA authorization, I have however recently got a simple caution for being in possession of a small amount of controlled substances.

Will this effect my ESTA? I am travelling to the US on business at the end of the month. Will this show up when I get to immigration?

Should I contact the US Embassy for advice?

Any help will be much appreciated.

You need a visa and possibly a waiver of inadmissability. Only advice the embassy ever gives is you need a visa.

Basically you fail esta on this one

Have you ever been arrested or convicted for an offense or crime involving moral turpitude or a violation related to a controlled substance; or have been arrested or convicted for two or more offenses for which the aggregate sentence to confinement was five years or more; or have been a controlled substance trafficker; or are you seeking entry to engage in criminal or immoral activities?

How much in grams, and what substance.

Salmonrushdi

It was half a gram of cocaine.

As I currently have an ESTA, how would they find out I had been cautioned, I was under the impression that they do not have access to the PNC and would therefore not know.

Do they have the capability to check and do they do this everytime you visit the country?

Thanks

Salmon

hansi

Remember this is US immigration. They know everything!:eek:

whatajoke1

Salmonrushdi wrote: »

It was half a gram of cocaine.

As I currently have an ESTA, how would they find out I had been cautioned, I was under the impression that they do not have access to the PNC and would therefore not know.

Do they have the capability to check and do they do this everytime you visit the country?

Thanks

Salmon

You're stuffed and basically need a waiver of inelligability, which due to the recentness of the caution possibly won't be granted.

It doesn't matter what they know, basically it would come down to a material misrepresentation (10 years jail time in the states).

Someone else will no doubt answer the question, but the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia share this data to a certain extent. Its called The High Value Data Sharing Protocol.

libertysurf

chocolateteddy wrote: »

Finally sorted out filling in estas - thought of having to pay hurried me along, not going till 2011 but now done Had no problem with me, hubby or 2 of children all authorised. But the youngest ones says pending, is that usual , what if his isn't authorised can't be because of anything he's done hes 4 -unless they heard about his paint fight at school last week or that his passport photo looks really dodgy!!!
Hoping it is authorised in the next 72 hours.

hi - Just catching up with this. Can I ask, was it authorised in the time period? Has this happened to others? Very worrying to see this. Thanks

ferf1223

libertysurf wrote: »

hi - Just catching up with this. Can I ask, was it authorised in the time period? Has this happened to others? Very worrying to see this. Thanks

Many people have reported that they received a pending result initially which updated to authorised fairly quickly - all that I can recall within 24 hours.

piggo64

I had the same thing happen. I did myself, OH, and 2 kids OK but on my youngest child it referred. I logged in 10mins later and PRESTO it had been authorized!

Happytraveller2010

Back in august 2010 I applied online on what I thought was a Gov w ebsite and completed the forms and was charged £25 for each application. The following day e-mail confirmation was received but since reading about scam sites and the fact there was no charge before today we have been concerned that we have been scammed.
We checked with american embassy who could not help but said to check online to see if apps were confirmed which they have been.
Payments went to a company callled ESTA Crewe GB. Does anybody know anything about this company or have they had similar experience.

ferf1223

Happytraveller2010 wrote: »

Payments went to a company callled ESTA Crewe GB. Does anybody know anything about this company or have they had similar experience.

There's no UK registered company with that name...doesn't mean much. Can you not go back to the email confirmation and get back to the website itself? There are legitimate sites that, yes, charged for ESTA, but they clearly state the fee is for a service they are providing...not for the ESTA application itself...would most people opt to pay £25 for something they could do for free? Probably not...but at least some of the sites are perhaps taking advantage of people's ignorance, but do make it clear what they are doing, just many don't read everything presented to them...so not a scam as such. Other sites are said to be more dodgy in collecting information for possible ID theft.

luci

I noticed that the official site is now the top result in a Google search. A few months ago the first 3 results were all sponsored links to companied that were charging for the service.

Not sure they are technically a scam. They are charging for a service they provide and the unsuspecting public were using them and paying up.

A little bit of internet research would have revealed that you could apply direct at no cost at the time.