I think I messed up ESTA application - clicked 'Yes' to transit question when we're staying 3 days

[LostRedditor]

Visiting USA for the first time and I did ESTA for 3 people a few days ago.
For the question
"Is your travel to the US occurring in transit to another country?"
I put "Yes" because I misunderstood the question. Do I need to create all new ESTA applications and click 'No" now? I can't seem to edit/update it.

Also we're arriving in less than 72 hours, is this very bad?

 

[SYD]

Visiting USA for the first time and I did ESTA for 3 people a few days ago.
For the question
"Is your travel to the US occurring in transit to another country?"
I put "Yes" because I misunderstood the question. Do I need to create all new ESTA applications and click 'No" now? I can't seem to edit/update it.

Also we're arriving in less than 72 hours, is this very bad?

Have you received the approval?

Unless someone has contrary advice, I’d think you’d be ok. There are very few (if any?) US ports you can transit without “entering” the USA. To enter you need an ESTA and that’s good for the greater of 2 yrs or the life of your PP (good for multiple visits).

TBH, it seems like a pretty dumb question but that’s obviously not an excuse to use with humourless Homeland Security folk.

 

[SYD]

Pulling the thread on the “dumb question”, here’s the explanation:

ESTA transit for a stopover in the USA

Is it necessary to obtain an ESTA for travelers who simply need to transit or stop over in the United States of America?

usa-esta.net

Basically “Transit” means you don’t have to enter accommodation details. Just “Transit”. It’s otherwise identical (and costs the same, with same validly and reuse). Surely they could dispense with that question and just provide a note to write “Transit”….

I almost wrote in my earlier post that ”accommodation” is the other dumb question on ESTA applications. I flew to SFO earlier in the year, so put the SF address in the application. I’m returning in a few weeks but not via SFO nor staying there. But the ESTA is still valid….

 

[LostRedditor]

Thanks @SYD appreciate your thoughts. In the end I decided not to gamble on it, and I filed new applications. I had the saved all the previous applications so it didn't take me too long to fill in again. USD$63 small price to pay for piece of mind at 3am

 

[LostRedditor]

Still, it did take me a good 40 minutes to do.

My misunderstanding was thinking "Transit" meant arriving from one country and departing for another. You would think I would learn to look up definitions before just going forwards

 

[SYD]

Still, it did take me a good 40 minutes to do.

My misunderstanding was thinking "Transit" meant arriving from one country and departing for another. You would think I would learn to look up definitions before just going forwards

That’s what it means in this context (ie not staying in the US). eg Fly SYD-LAX-YVR but don’t stay in LA. But the dumb bit is you could fly back from Canada and stay a week in SFO before flying to SYD (all on the same ESTA). Rinse and repeat any combo for the next 2 yrs on the same ESTA.

Reading further, I believe you could have changed / corrected that under “Check application”. The only things you can’t change once submitted and paid are PP / biometric details (which probably doesn’t leave much that can be changed…).

 

[Himeno]

As long as it is approved, there is no problem.
ESTA is valid for 2 years (or to passport expiry if less) and doesn't have to be updated each time.

They get the US contact details each trip from the APIS data added to each booking.

 

[Flashback]

Having selected Transit makes no difference, you would have been fine.

 

[LostRedditor]

Yeah I guess I paid for peace if mind really.

In the end, it all went well. Seattle was not what I expected though, but that's for another thread

 

[SYD]

Seattle was not what I expected though, but that's for another thread

Yeah, tick. Move on. Went there for the first earlier in the year.

 

[justinbrett]

Yeah, tick. Move on. Went there for the first earlier in the year.

I really liked Seattle. Great for aviation tourism.

I'm transiting through there overnight in a few weeks on my way to Alaska - I hope it hasn't gone to the dogs.

 

[SYD]

I really liked Seattle. Great for aviation tourism.

I'm transiting through there overnight in a few weeks on my way to Alaska - I hope it hasn't gone to the dogs.

At lot of the PNW is marred in a smokey haze….

I‘d pass through again if it involved good airfares / connections…

 

[SeatBackForward]

It's an odd question - the ESTA lasts two years, you can make multiple trips using it, some may be transit, some might not be.

 

[justinbrett]

At lot of the PNW is marred in a smokey haze….

I‘d pass through again if it involved good airfares / connections…

Like because of the Canadian bushfires?

I had that when I was in Minnesota & the Dakotas a few months ago.

Or do you mean the wacky kind?

I'm flying LHR-SEA-JNU-ANC (overnights in SEA & JNU) so good place for a stop.

 

[SYD]

Like because of the Canadian bushfires?

I had that when I was in Minnesota & the Dakotas a few months ago.

Or do you mean the wacky kind?

I'm flying LHR-SEA-JNU-ANC (overnights in SEA & JNU) so good place for a stop.

The whacky tabacy kind.

I’ll be just passing through in 2 wks YVR to BOI.

 

[justinbrett]

The whacky tabacy kind.

I’ll be just passing through in 2 wks YVR to BOI.

Ah - well I find that everywhere in the US these days.

 

[Himeno]

It's an odd question - the ESTA lasts two years, you can make multiple trips using it, some may be transit, some might not be.

It's because they just took the questions from the old I-94W green form that you had to fill out for each arrival.

 

[SeatBackForward]

It's because they just took the questions from the old I-94W green form that you had to fill out for each arrival.

*cough* US security *cough*

 

[LostRedditor]

Not to make this a Seattle Review thread, but for me it was the amount of homelessness, drug abuse, and mental illness on display in the streets. I had no idea it was this bad. We were staying at a hotel on 6th Ave and every day as we walked down Pike St and Pine St all we could smell was piss and cannabis. I feel for these people, obviously. I had no idea it was so rampant. A local told us it got really bad in the last couple of years.

I thoroughly enjoyed the waterfront and the library though. Plenty of things we enjoyed doing as a family

 

[justinbrett]

Not to make this a Seattle Review thread, but for me it was the amount of homelessness, drug abuse, and mental illness on display in the streets.

Thats true of most US cities these days unfortunately.