How long for ESTA approval?

[Acourtof]

Starting to panic!! We’re flying to the US tomorrow afternoon and I only just remembered that we all need ESTAs 🤦🏼‍♀️

Submitted applications online. Website says up to 72 hours to come through. We’ve got 24 hours…

DH and I have travelled to the US several times and never had an issue. Our young DC have never been to the US, so I’m worried that it will need extra time for a first application.

Any comfort please on your own recent ESTA timelines, especially for DC? Thank you 🙏

Just reading that made me stressed, glad everything went through and you can go on holiday! Have a fantastic time OP!

I am sure we didn't put in any because they are optional.

We did ours last year for this years holiday and at the time we didn't have any hotels booked.

If I remember correctly you do have to do an additional advanced passenger information prior to flying with airline where you DO have to give the first nights address but that it at checkin time.

Knew it would be ok! So happy for you OP. Have an absolutely brilliant (and stress free) holiday. It will be something you laugh about in years to come and at least you know you will never do it again!!!

You go back into the approved Esta and update the hotel address details, I’ve done that because we’ve been to the states more than once on the same Esta.

Not sure whether it’s optional but tbh the last thing I want to be dealing with is anyone on immigration spotting that some details aren’t correct and getting loads of questions.

It's been reduced but it's not gone completely. If you've been to Cuba since early 2021 the ESTA isn't valid and you need to do a proper visa application to go to the US. They changed it in around February this year (after I had spent ages on a US visa application, having been to Cuba in 2012... Luckily I hadn't got round to paying for the visa. Went to the US in May, totally fine with an ESTA.

The address field isn’t pointless- you update it for your next trip if you travel to the US more than once on the same Esta :)

Oh thank fuck for that. Enjoy your holiday OP.

But they never check the address and it remains valid regales of whether you change that address or not,

When checking ours were still valid earlier I noticed they all still have the New York address on. Dd is currently in Florida, having flown there back in June, and hers still says New York.

Never updated the address field and never had a problem through immigration although one boarder control person looked at me like I was crazy when I said I was driving from LA and dropping the car back in New York 10 days later 😁

I don't do it religiously, just if I notice it on the clock. It was 11:11 when I finished reading the thread so it seemed fitting 😁

Glad it worked out, OP

Only the one that has expired. We applied as a group and my ESTA is valid for 2 years after we applied, but DH’s runs out on the day his passport expires.

I quickly caught up by only reading OPs posts after my earlier comment and YAY, have the best time, so pleased for you

Oh my gosh I'm feeling so much second hand relief for you it's unbelievable!! This is a brilliant update!! Have a wonderful holiday, champagne needed at the airport!!

Fucking hell OP!

DH and I travel to the states a lot and always have “live” ESTAs… once we turned up to the airport, DH had renewed his passport but not his bloody ESTA 🤦‍♀️ so I left him, checked into the flight etc… and his ESTA was happily approved within about an hour so he managed to leg it through the airport and made the flight 😂 but he had a horseshoe up his ass that day!

I am so pleased you made your holiday though, the waiting would have finished me off!!

Have an utterly fabulous holiday! 😀

I'm so happy for you! Have a great time 😊

Have a fabulous holiday OP. The waiting would have killed me off, well done for keeping it from the kids and keeping a calm facade

Waiting to board. Tipsy on celebration champagne!! 🥂😆❤️

Cheers you gorgeous lot!! Thank you again for all of the support and advice 🥹

P.s. Ignore very awful manicure… I cancelled my nail appt during yesterday afternoon’s panic haha

Amazing!! Enjoy

Oh my goodness, I read this with my heart in my mouth! so glad it all worked out.

We are taking the kids to Disney next Easter and off the back of this thread I’ve put 3 calendar reminders in my phone for the 2 months before we leave reminding me/DH to make sure the ESTAs have been done and approved!

Have a fabulous time!

Did ours last week, about 11.30pm on a Sunday. Email with authorisation came through about 2.30am. We fly to the US tomorrow pm too 😀

I'm so glad they got approved for you! Hope you have a great holiday

Oops, just realised this was yesterday! So glad it worked out!

That airport view brings back memories…have a great flight.

Bon Voyage