ESTA travellers told to use one passport to enter and depart US
Members of the public travelling with an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) are being asked to use the same passport to depart and re-enter the territory to avoid being inaccurately recorded.
This is according to a recent statement from the government which said that following an investigation and discussions with the US Customs and Border Protection, it was revealed that travellers who have entered the United States (US) with their United Kingdom (UK) passport and returned to the BVI using a different passport – including a Virgin Islands passport – may be at risk of being flagged as having overstayed in the US.
The release comes months after complaints were first made about persons being flagged or denied entry in record numbers into the US using the ESTA method of travel.
The Office of the Deputy Governor confirmed previously that some ESTA visa waiver applications were denied due to an issue where re-entrance to the BVI was not properly logged, thus inaccurately indicating that some travellers had never left the United States.
The government issued a reminder that entrance to the US is logged using a passport number.
It urged that persons who travel to the US using a UK Passport and valid ESTA must return to the BVI using the same UK passport to ensure that their arrival and departure, both ways, have been successfully recorded.
The statement further advised that persons should also note that departures from the US mainland to the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) or Puerto Rico is not considered as an official departure from the US.
It noted that official departure from the US will only be logged upon completing an international flight or voyage to a non-US territory or state.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
BVIslanders who are US citizens but who have, err “forgotten” to file IRS annual returns, in the VERY near future you are going to be flagged up at immigration. Time to regularize your tax with Uncle Sam, unless you want a longer stay in the US than you planned.
Just learnt that if you travel to Cuba the USA will revoke your esta
It is not exactly true that if you travel to Cuba, your ESTA will be revoked. I was recently approved for an ESTA after having disclosed travel to Cuba. However, travel to certain countries including Cuba, Iran, Yemen and North Korea does mean that your application for an ESTA will be flagged for enhanced due diligence which may lead to refusal depending on all the circumstances including the reason for your travel to the aforesaid countries. Also, enhanced due diligence means that your entire application will be scrutinised more carefully and the presence of any other adverse circumstance (including the computer showing what looks like previous overstay…even if it wasn’t) will probably more likely lead to a refusal.
Correct information is important. For people with both the VI and UK Passports generally, it is much better to travel to the USVI (or to the USA through the USVI) using your Virgin Islands passport. Some benefits of using the VI Passport include stays of up to six months as opposed to 90 dayd using UK passport plus ESTA. Importantly, though is the fact that you have the ability to challenge decisions of immigration officials and even can see an immigration judge in the case of adverse decisions (one can never know if and when that ability would come in handy) whereas with ESTA, you waive all your rights to do that and would just be put on the next boat or plane leaving and your ability to re-enter would depend on the ability to obtain a visa in circumstances where your removal or denial of entry will be counted against you.
Of course, the main drawback with using the VI passport is that it only can be used if travel to USA through the USVI and that for instance means that you cannot, for example fly EIS to SJU or re-enter the USA after a cruise or a quick trip over the border to Mexico from a border town. If you have the UK Passport and ESTA and plan to, leave and re-enter or not travel through the USVI, then unless you get a VISA in your VI passport, the UK plus ESTA should be used.
…and what about those expats whose children were born in the US?there are many residing in the BVI you know..
Stop spreading false news. This is not true.
Speaking of false news, my sister’s boyfriend said he got a crotch itch from an evil cat coming back from the club. It made him swerve and hit a tree. Thank Buddha he wasn’t thank drunk or it could have been worse.