Forgotten ESTA details, help please!

[jmagla]

Hi,
I have already made an ESTA application a few months ago. We have changed our plans (more than once!!) about where we are staying. I need to check and possibly modify the application. It asks for the application number which I cant find, I cant remember whether they emailed me after the application with a reference number (if they do could someone please let me know the senders name and or subject line so I can search my email).

If anyone else has had the same problem and has sorted it out, could you please let me know how you did it, many thanks.

Michael

 

[penlanspice]

I can't really be much help but just wanted you to know they don't email you.

I needed to look for ours this week to make a note of the reference number and couldn't find it anywhere, I went through all my old emails looking for it too.
I finally discovered that I had copied and pasted the confirmation screen and saved it. Not much help to you I know, I even went into the ESTA site and you need the ref no.

 

[lgp1]

Hi Michael,

I sent an email to the Esta site and this is what it said [the answer to your question].


"We do not provide application numbers to people who have lost them. If you want to update something, such as your travel information, you will need to re-apply [although you are not required to update your travel information. The ESTA approval is good for two years unless something about your passport or your biometric information - such as your name - changes.]


If you have lost your appplication number, you cannot update your information in the system. That number is required to locate your file. However, you may re-apply. The old number will automatically be cancelled, and a new number generated for you. If that does not work, please come back to this FAQ and click on the "Ask a Question" tab above, and send us the exact error message. If you do not have an email address for us to respond to, use the following in the email field, but be sure to give us a phone number where we can contact you to resolve the problem. esta@cbh.dhs.gov


Remember, it is not required for you to update your travel information in ESTA, providing that information to us is optional. So if you have lost your application number and cannot update that information the next time you travel to the U.S. Don't worry about it.


You do not need your application number to board your flight. That number is transmitted electronically direct to the airlines.


If you are waiting for your approval status to be confirmed, and you did not keep a copy of your application number to log in to see the status, you will have to re-apply. We do not notify applicants of their status [approved or denied] by email."


Hope this will be of some help. It seems to me that if it's only where you are staying that you want to alter and not your passport information or your biometric information, there is no need to do anything.


Lyndon

 

[jmagla]

Thanks for the replies, the dates have not changed, just the order of hotels we are staying in (3 over 3 weeks), after what you have said Lyndon I will just leave it and put the right hotel on the visa waiver (if you still need to fill it in?).

Thanks again, Michael

 

[lgp1]

Thanks for the replies, the dates have not changed, just the order of hotels we are staying in (3 over 3 weeks), after what you have said Lyndon I will just leave it and put the right hotel on the visa waiver (if you still need to fill it in?).

Thanks again, Michael

You're welcome. Hope you have a really good holiday.

Lyndon

 

[Princess_Melanie]

We've had a similar issue - we filled in Esta for our Jan 09 trip and that was all fine. Now we're going again in September 09 and wondered if we needed to do new applications or change info. We've hunted around for the answers and finally come to decide that it's valid for 2 years, unless you change passport details so we'll leave it as it is. It seems to suggest that you don't need to update it for EVERY trip....fingers crossed that's right!!

(if anyone has different experience - please let me know!!)