ESTA and previous US visa refusal

[daddyyluv]

Hi guys,

please i need your advise on what to do. in 2016, a friend applied for a US visa and was refused. the reason she said they gave is that she has no ties to the UK, she has a pending immigration file made by her mother in the US as an unmarried daughter to a green card holder which they think she wont return to the UK and that her job as a customer assistant is not enough to show she would return to the UK.

at the time she had ilr and now she is a British citizen (but not married). We are supposed to be attending a wedding in Texas but she is scared that her ESTA would be refused because of the above.

I am just wondering if anyone has been through this before or if anyone has any advise for her please. She still works as a customer assistant and now has a child that is a year old who is British but her application in the US is still pending.

hope to get your replies soon. The wedding in Texas is next month.

Thanks

[CR001]

If she has a previous US visit visa refusal, she will likely not get an ESTA and will have to apply to the embassy for a visa.

[daddyyluv]

okay thanks for your reply. i will ask her to apply for the visa asap

[Biggie]

Hi,

I got refused a visa twice from the USA embassy (1 in London and 1 in Lilongwe). Finally got British citizenship, applied for an ESTA which was approved and listed all refusals. Have traveled to the US with no issues on the ESTAs several times. In your friends case the pending immigration file maybe an issue. Worse case scenario is she looses $14 if the ESTA is refused and goes for the visa application.

[smallpie]

okay thanks for your reply. i will ask her to apply for the visa asap

I will tell her to apply for esta. Not much to lose in fees.
Alot of pple I know, got refusal in visa, now as British passport holder, esta got approved.
She just av to tell them during the esta application, she was refused before in visa.

[daddyyluv]

Thanks for your reply. She went on to apply and the ESTA approved

[fielddrive]

For everyone's benefit, British citizens should apply for ESTA before heading to the embassy. Reason is USE will likely refuse a visa to a person who is otherwise eligible for ESTA.

Also, BC don't need an ESTA to enter the US if driving in from Canada.

[dillopapa]

Why don't you need an ESTA when crossing the US border from Canada with a British Passport? Do you need the ESTA only when you go by air?

[max307]

Why don't you need an ESTA when crossing the US border from Canada with a British Passport? Do you need the ESTA only when you go by air?

ESTA is currently required for air and cruise ship travel only.