Deputy Governor’s office probes ESTA issues for BVI travellers

The Office of the Deputy Governor has confirmed that it is working with the BVI London Office and the U.S. Embassy to address an ongoing issue that some Virgin Islands travellers have experienced while using the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa waiver to enter the United States.

The Deputy Governor’s Office recently issued a request for BVI travellers to report any difficulties they encountered when using ESTA. While the office did not confirm the specifics of the issue, it clarified that gathering individual experiences is key to identifying the problem.

“We are actively working with the BVI London Office and the U.S. Embassy in London to identify the reason for the issue and bring it to a resolve as soon as possible,” the office stated. “Our current request to the community for information on their individual experiences will allow us, in partnership with the BVI London Office, to assess these on a case-by-case basis.”

The deadline for reporting issues was set for November 13, but no further updates have been provided as of yet.

This latest statement does not clarify whether the problem is related to a similar incident in August 2023, when BVI residents reported difficulties entering the United States. During that time, travellers were advised by the Deputy Governor’s Office to use the same passport when departing and re-entering the territory to avoid being inaccurately recorded.

In a statement at the time, the government explained that some travellers who entered the U.S. with their UK passport and returned to the BVI using a different passport, such as a Virgin Islands passport, were mistakenly flagged for overstaying in the US.

The Office of the Deputy Governor had previously confirmed that some ESTA visa waiver applications were denied due to an issue where re-entry to the BVI was not properly logged, creating the false impression that some travellers had not left the U.S.

The government issued a reminder that U.S. entry and exit are logged using a passport number, urging travellers who use a UK passport and valid ESTA to return to the BVI with the same UK passport to ensure their travel records are accurately updated.