Refused tourist visa and ESTA more than 2 years ago, can I apply for ESTA Again?
I have a question about visiting USA. I am Lithuanian who lives in UK since 2007.
I visited USA with ESTA waiver visa 3 times in 2010-2012, never over stayed or broke any rules, after my ESTA permission expired I then decided to apply for tourist visa, obviously I was denied twice within a month and got refused ESTA too. ( I had an interview in USA embassy in Lithuania and then I was told that they were unable to check my Criminal records so that's why I need to go to USA embassy in London Coz I live here) . The reason I got refused was -not enough of evidence to prove my ties to country of residence ). Now 2.5 years later I need to visit USA and not sure if I would get approved for ESTA waiver visa?
Best Answer
The US Government has a page that answers your question: "How would my eligibility for a travel authorization via ESTA be affected if I was previously denied a visa, previously denied an immigration benefit, or previously committed an immigration-related violation?"
If you were previously denied a visa, or previously refused entry to the United States, or previously removed from the U.S., your ESTA application will most likely be denied.
If you were allowed to board your carrier, you may be subject to additional processing upon arrival at U.S. ports of entry, and may be denied admission to the U.S. Applicants who are uncertain of whether they qualify for travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) are encouraged to apply for ESTA authorization early, to allow time to apply for a visa, if needed.
Be sure to note the information on that page about answering the "have you been denied a visa" question honestly. If they determine that you gave any false answers, your visa problems will become exponentially worse.
You can certainly try to apply through the ESTA website, but it's likely you'd be denied (and be out the $4 processing fee). To travel to the US if you can't get approved for ESTA, you'll need to apply for a visa.
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Can I reapply for ESTA if denied?
You can notably reapply for an ESTA online after a waiting period of 10 days following the receipt of the refusal notification if the refusal is due to a simple error you made when completing the form. In this case, the refund of costs and fees incurred can be used to pay for the new application.Can I apply for ESTA twice?
Even if your status became \u201ctravel not authorized,\u201d you may apply for ESTA again as many times as you wish.Can I apply for ESTA after visa denial?
Embassies and Consulates will be able to process an application for a non-immigrant visa that, if approved, will be the only way that a traveler whose ESTA application has been denied would be authorized to travel to the United States.How many times can I apply for an ESTA?
There is no limit on the number of times you may enter the U.S. under either ESTA of a visa.Can I Apply for a Visa if I Was Refused Before?
More answers regarding refused tourist visa and ESTA more than 2 years ago, can I apply for ESTA Again?
Answer 2
I'm not sure how it would be obvious that you were twice denied a tourist visa within a month, except that you have told us this.
In general, if you've been found "ineligible" for a US visa, you may not use the visa waiver program, which in turn means that you should not apply for ESTA.
Previous Compliance and No Prior Visa Ineligibilities.
If you have had a U.S. visa before or previously traveled to the United States under the VWP or another status, you must have complied with the conditions of previous admissions to the United States, and you must not have previously been found ineligible for a U.S. visa.
(emphasis added; source: https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visa-waiver-program.html)
I do not know whether your tourist visa refusals count as having been found ineligible for a US visa, but it does seem likely. Perhaps if you edit your question to include the reasons for the refusals, you will be able to get a more definite answer.
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