Can I get an ESTA but enter on a visa?
I've flown on AA twice from Europe in the last month and cannot check in online as I have a US visa. AA's site has nowhere for me to enter visa information so it rejects me because I don't have an ESTA (which it can check).
Would it be possible/acceptable to apply for an ESTA purely so that I could do OLCI and then present my visa on arrival in the US?
My concerns are twofold:
- My ESTA application may be refused because I have a visa, and the potential consequences of having a refused ESTA application in the future.
- I might have problems at the POE if they think I'm entering under the VWP when I actually have a visa.
Typically I either fly on BA or connect to AA from a BA first segment. BA let me check-in online and validate my visa at some point before boarding the flight to the US.
If it makes a difference, I have an E-2 visa.
Best Answer
Now that I've travelled several times to the US after getting my ESTA, here's what actually does happen. I don't enter my visa number anywhere and the airline (BA or AA) presumably sends my info to the CBP to be approved and since they can see I have an ESTA they get an acknowledgement. It is possible that that might also have occurred with my visa, but they end up with some "check docs" flag on my PNR.
I can check in online and receive boarding passes for any connecting legs and the TATL segment to the US. I've asked when transitting LHR and showing my passport if they need to scan my visa page and they said they don't.
I enter the US and acknowledge I'm entering on a visa, or now, since I have GE, I just choose which method of entry to use on the GE screen (VW business, VW tourism, E2).
Turns out getting an ESTA was pretty useful at least in my case.
Pictures about "Can I get an ESTA but enter on a visa?"
Can I travel to the US on an ESTA while waiting for a visa?
If your visa petition is pending at a U.S. Consulate, you could come to the U.S. on ESTA (or B1/B2 visa), as long as the activities you engage in the U.S. are allowed under the ESTA/B visa rules.Can you cross the border with an ESTA?
If you have an approved ESTA when entering the United States at a land border crossing, you will not be required to complete the paper I-94W form, and your entry process is expedited. If you are coming to the United States by air or sea, you DO have to apply for ESTA.What happens if you travel to the US without an ESTA?
If you forget to apply for your ESTA, then you will not be allowed to travel. Usually, you will be stopped at your departing airport as you will not have the required travel authorisation to enter the US.What 10 things YOU must to know about ESTA travel authorization. Visa Waiver Program
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