Oh bugger I've messed up the ESTA - Access DENIED.....

[Curlybrunette]

Hi everyone,

So we go to Florida in just over 5 weeks, and DH and I have a valid ESTA from last year. i applied last week for DS's ESTAs and today looked at the application so I could print it (I know you don't need to but I'm a bit anal). Well thank god I did check because DS1 (aged 10) has been denied, when I checked why there's the question:
Do you seek to engage or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage or genocide?
I've gone and put yes. He's 10 years old, we've probably got the FBI watching his activities as we speak.

Oh heck. Why the hell did I do that, cos if he was engaging in those activities I'd be way too ashamed to admit it...

I've emailed them, but it says it can take 2-3 weeks to get a reply. I assume me putting yes has automatically made it unauthorised, and when they get my email they'll check it over and see it was an innocent ridiculously stupid mistake.

Please reassure me that the US government will let my baby into the country and that he isn't going to get stopped at every airport we ever visit for the rest of his life????

Oh dear. I put yes on DD (8)'s ESTA Are you going to look for or perform any work. Realised mistake and corrected it, but application went to PENDING, which was worrying enough.

Hope they can sort it.

Oh my, what a question! Do the US authorities really think that anyone is going to answer a truthful 'yes' to that question?

haha. hope it gets sorted. it's such a stupid question!

reminds me of the time I answered truthfully 'no' to the question 'did you pack your bags yourself?' dh does the packing here, he gets twice as much stuff into the suitcase

Can you just start again from scratch and put the whole thing again?

I was denied. Do not look on TripAdvisor for "advice" - you'll be told the only option is to be grilled at the US Embassy for 10 hours. Just email "them" and reapply after 24/48 hours. Border agent definitely did a furrowed brow when he was checking my data on screen though

My sister was "helping" me sort my esta in 2013 and ticked that I had diplomatic immunity or something and mine was denied! I was feeling out, but I phone a number on the esta page and they told me to re-apply and it was all ok in the end.
Hope you get it sorted.

Brill thank you! I'll reapply now. I was worried that if I reapplied they'd think I was trying to hide ds's hideous crimes this time and it would still be on record. You really don't want to p off the US government do you...

I've just reapplied and ticked 'no' to the question:
Have you ever been denied a U.S. visa or entry into the U.S. or had a U.S. visa cancelled on your current or previous passport?

But he has (because of my stupidity the first time round)? Oh dear, now I'm lying on the form...will they pick this up?

I just looked at the us customs q&a.
they basically say to email them with a justification if you made an error with those vital questions.

Thanks Pitchfork, I did email them, I'm assuming it will be fine, it says it can take 2-3 weeks for them to reply. I'm hoping if I've done the new application it will all just sort itself out like really really hoping it will sort itself out

Oh. I've just done the new application and got an immediate 'not authorised' back from them.

I'll just need to wait for them to reply to the email I guess.

Have you ever been denied a U.S. visa or entry into the U.S. or had a U.S. visa cancelled on your current or previous passport?

He hasn't, because ETSA is a visa-waiver. You aren't actually applying for a visa, you are applying for exemption from one, if that makes sense

Oh sorry, x-posted

Ring them - you haven't got time to wait 3 weeks to get an email reply.

By the way, the reason they ask is not to catch out the less intelligent criminals but because of legal proceedings.