When you apply for ESTA, in order to get your authorization status, (and proof that your application was successfully submitted) you must click “Pay Now” after you receive your application number. We will not send you a separate email or other verification that you have applied for ESTA or whether your application was approved. That final “Pay Now” page provides the only notification you will receive.
If you received approval and did not print out or write down your application number, which is needed in order to update your application or check your status, you may retrieve the application number through the ESTA website by clicking “Check Individual Status” under “Check ESTA Status” and then selecting “I Do NOT Know the Application Number.” You will then need to enter the applicant s name, date of birth, passport number and passport issuing country.
In most cases, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization will return an Application Status immediately. In cases where more time is needed to process an electronic travel authorization application, an answer will usually be returned within 72 hours. Information will be provided to check the application status if you receive a pending response. The three possible responses to an electronic travel authorization application are:
- Authorization Approved.Your travel authorization has been approved and you are authorized to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. The system displays confirmation of the application approval and a payment receipt notice showing the amount or your payment. A travel authorization does not guarantee admission to the United States as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer at a port of entry will have the final determination.
- Travel Not Authorized. You are not authorized to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. You may apply for a visa from the Department of State for your travel. Please visit the U.S. Department of State Web site at http://www.travel.state.gov for additional information about applying for a visa. This response does not deny entry into the United States. This response only prohibits you from traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. The system also displays a payment receipt notice showing the amount of your payment for the processing of the ESTA application.
- Authorization Pending. Your travel authorization is under review because an immediate determination could not be made for your application. This response does not indicate negative findings. A determination will usually be available within 72 hours. Please return to this Web site and choose "Check ESTA Status," and then "Individual Application." Your application number, passport number, and birth date will be required to check the status of your application.