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Amylouisematz

UK to USA then back to U.K., now denied ESTA?!

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Hi everyone

 

I was wondering if anyone had any guidance or could shed some light on my issue. This forum has been so helpful over the years, with many knowledgeable and amazing folks helping others. 

 

My husband and I had our K1 approved back in 2013. I moved to the USA and did all the necessary to have my permanent resident card to live and work legally. This expires in 2026. However, back in 2017 with a young child we decided it would be a better quality of life for us to do it all again and move to the UK. We have been living here for 2 years with all the necessary visa stuff taken care of. 

 

We aim to visit the in laws once a year. Last year I applied for an ESTA (as we left the US for over 6 months and weren’t intending to return). My ESTA visa said “TRAVEL NOT AUTHORISED” yet I had no issues at security and we had a lovely 3 week visit. I have applied for a new ESTA for our next trip, but it still says I am not authorised!!!!

 

Has anyone else had this experience or know What I should do next? I am worried that this time there may be an issue, but I am unsure what this issue is. We have done everything by the book, never had any issues before! 

 

Thank you in advance, and happy Sunday :) 

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
Timeline

Did you abandon your Permanent Residency?

 

Wonder how you got on the plane without an authorised ESTA?

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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I did not...we thought that once you leave for 6 months it is automatically “rejected”, and to re enter you do the standard esta stuff. Damn. Will have to look into that now. What a headache. 

 

when we entered there was absolutely no issue whatsoever, which was strange. Just showed them my British passport and on we went!!

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I’m assuming that I can reapply for the ESTA once the abandonment paperwork has been filed and all sorted and it will hopefully be approved? Am slightly panicked and stressed now as there’s a wedding we are meant to be attending!

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Believe you’d need a visitor visa now

Edited by CJKylie

ROC Timeline

Service Center: California

90 Day Window Opened.....08/03/17

I-751 Packet Sent................08/04/17

NOA Dated...........................08/07/17

NOA Received......................08/09/17

Check Cashed......................08/09/17

Biometrics Letter Rcvd........08/26/17

Biometrics Appointment......09/07/17

Approval................................08/05/19

 

Naturalization Timeline

Field Office: Santa Ana, CA

90 Day Window Opened.......08/03/18

N-400 Filed (Online)..............08/03/18

Receipt Notice.......................08/03/18

Biometrics Letter Rcvd..........08/20/18

Biometrics Appointment.......09/07/18

Interview Letter Dated...........07/01/19

Interview Letter Rcvd............07/08/19

Interview................................08/05/19

Approval................................08/05/19

Oath.......................................08/22/19

 

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
Timeline

Begs the question how long it takes a I 407 to be processed.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Australia
Timeline
7 minutes ago, Amylouisematz said:

I’m assuming that I can reapply for the ESTA once the abandonment paperwork has been filed and all sorted and it will hopefully be approved? Am slightly panicked and stressed now as there’s a wedding we are meant to be attending!

You should be eligible for an  ESTA once you do the paperwork to relinquish your LPR status. At this time the US system still sees your LPR status and says you don’t need any visitors  visa. 

Edited by Lil bear
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Processing time is around 60 days. The trip isn’t until April luckily. I’m just so confused as to why and how they let me in back in October if my ESTA was “unauthorised”. 

 

Thank you everyone for your help, and for reading my rambly panicked post! Virtual beers for all!

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Australia
Timeline
2 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Begs the question how long it takes a I 407 to be processed.

It has been possible to travel with LPR status .. if GC is unexpired .. and relinquish the LPR at POE.  If the card is expired then this probably won’t work 

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
Timeline

You would then have to hope you were paroled in.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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What did they stamp your passport with when you arrived back? WT or ARC? 

Timeline in brief:

Married: September 27, 2014

I-130 filed: February 5, 2016

NOA1: February 8, 2016 Nebraska

NOA2: July 21, 2016

Interview: December 6, 2016 London

POE: December 19, 2016 Las Vegas

N-400 filed: September 30, 2019

Interview: March 22, 2021 Seattle

Oath: March 22, 2021 COVID-style same-day oath

 

Now a US citizen!

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42 minutes ago, Amylouisematz said:

Processing time is around 60 days. The trip isn’t until April luckily. I’m just so confused as to why and how they let me in back in October if my ESTA was “unauthorised”. 

 

Thank you everyone for your help, and for reading my rambly panicked post! Virtual beers for all!

Did you show them the green card last time? 

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It was ARC. I brought it with me “just in case”, but had read before that once you leave for over 6 months your GC is then invalid. So when visiting after well over a year, I didn’t think there would be any issues-and there weren’t! I think this is because my card hadn’t expired-but the ESTA did not authorise me to visit. Am really hoping that once it gets abandoned formally, the ESTA process will be nice and easy and approved! 🤞🏻

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Poster is still an LPR are they not? If so would make sense that the ESTA is no longer valid, as the poster should *not* be using the VWP to travel back to the US, they should be coming and going as an LPR.

Our Journey Timeline  - Immigration and the Health Exchange Price of Love in the UK Thinking of Returning to UK?

 

First met: 12/31/04 - Engaged: 9/24/09
Filed I-129F: 10/4/14 - Packet received: 10/7/14
NOA 1 email + ARN assigned: 10/10/14 (hard copy 10/17/14)
Touched on website (fixed?): 12/9/14 - Poked USCIS: 4/1/15
NOA 2 email: 5/4/15 (hard copy 5/11/15)
Sent to NVC: 5/8/15 - NVC received + #'s assigned: 5/15/15 (estimated)
NVC sent: 5/19/15 - London received/ready: 5/26/15
Packet 3: 5/28/15 - Medical: 6/16/15
Poked London 7/1/15 - Packet 4: 7/2/15
Interview: 7/30/15 - Approved!
AP + Issued 8/3/15 - Visa in hand (depot): 8/6/15
POE: 8/27/15

Wedding: 9/30/15

Filed I-485, I-131, I-765: 11/7/15

Packet received: 11/9/15

NOA 1 txt/email: 11/15/15 - NOA 1 hardcopy: 11/19/15

Bio: 12/9/15

EAD + AP approved: 1/25/16 - EAD received: 2/1/16

RFE for USCIS inability to read vax instructions: 5/21/16 (no e-notification & not sent from local office!)

RFE response sent: 6/7/16 - RFE response received 6/9/16

AOS approved/card in production: 6/13/16  

NOA 2 hardcopy + card sent 6/17/16

Green Card received: 6/18/16

USCIS 120 day reminder notice: 2/22/18

Filed I-751: 5/2/18 - Packet received: 5/4/18

NOA 1:  5/29/18 (12 mo ext) 8/13/18 (18 mo ext)  - Bio: 6/27/18

Transferred: Potomac Service Center 3/26/19

Approved/New Card Produced status: 4/25/19 - NOA2 hardcopy 4/29/19

10yr Green Card Received: 5/2/19 with error >_<

N400 : 7/16/23 - Oath : 10/19/23

 

 

 

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
Timeline
3 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

Poster is still an LPR are they not? If so would make sense that the ESTA is no longer valid, as the poster should *not* be using the VWP to travel back to the US, they should be coming and going as an LPR.

ESTA is not applicable, available to a LPR.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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