Latest news with #ElectronicSystemforTravelAuthorisation
9 News
2 days ago
- 9 News
Perth couple's dream holiday ruined over US immigration debacle
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Exclusive: An Australian couple were forced to cancel an expensive cruise and now face the prospect of being banned from the US after a bizarre immigration error. Perth retirees Wayne and Carol Burley, aged in their 70s, were at the start of a cruise holiday around Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, the US, Canada and Mexico when their ship pulled into Hawaii in April this year. US Immigration officers then boarded the vessel and performed the usual visa checks on passengers. The couple couldn't have imagined the strange reason their dream holiday would be derailed. Wayne and Carol boarded their cruise ship in Sydney and made it to Hawaii before disaster struck, (Supplied) The Burleys had completed their Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTAs) like many times before and assumed they'd be let into the US without a hitch. "They looked at our ESTAs and took our passports and one of them said, 'Come with us'," Wayne told . "We were told to sit down and a senior officer started asking us questions." Wayne said he and Carol's names and passports had been flagged in the system for having breached the conditions of their previous ESTA. "He said, 'You have overstayed in the USA by more than 1000 days'," Wayne said. The couple were astonished. The last time they'd visited the US was nearly nine years ago in 2016. "He said their records showed we never left America," Wayne said, despite the fact the couple boarded the ship in Sydney. Wayne said the immigration officer all but shrugged and admitted that "sometimes our systems don't match up". The apparent administration error meant their ESTAs were promptly cancelled and US Immigration needed the Burleys to apply for a B2 visitor visa. The last time the Burleys had visited the US was nearly nine years ago in 2016. (Supplied) The fees for this were waived and the couple could continue on the first leg of their cruise. But a condition of this visa came with a huge snag – the officer confirmed they could not leave and re-enter the US. "We were told if we tried to do that, we'd be detained," Wayne explained. It meant their next cruise, which was from Los Angeles to Panama, had to be cancelled, leaving them out of pocket by more than $12,000. He said the immigration officer also warned it was unlikely they'd ever be let back into the US again. The Burleys then cancelled their second cruise with Princess Cruises, booked a hotel in Los Angeles once they reached that port and reluctantly headed back home. They were refunded their port fees and lodged a claim with their insurance agent 1Cover. After an initial denial and some back and forth, Wayne said he received a call from 1Cover saying their claim would be honoured. But the avid travellers are now left wondering if they'll be deported – or worse – if they try to holiday in the US again. Wayne said he and his wife are scared of travelling back to America in fear of being treated like a criminal. Wayne and Carol's enjoyed a cruise around Australia and New Zealand before the ship arrived in the US. (Supplied) Melbourne-based immigration lawyer Sherwin Noorian told this issue sometimes impacts non-US citizens attempting to enter the US after a previous trip. "The US does not have outbound passport control like Australia does for international departures," Noorian said. "At the airport, there are no gates where one must scan their passport before travelling abroad the way Australian airports do." "Customs and Border Protection relies on various data sources such as flight manifests to record departures from the US. "At times, they fail to record departures for foreign nationals and this may result in an 'overstay' being recorded for the traveller that is not accurate." For now, Wayne and Carol are trying to solve their potential travel ban by requesting a record of their travel in and out of Australia from the Department of Home Affairs, but they have not yet heard back. has contacted the US Customs and Border Protection for comment. Exclusive immigration USA Travel cruise Australia Perth Western Australia Hawaii CONTACT US
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
I've travelled to the US for 35 years. My ESTA was revoked without warning
Homeland insecurities My daughter lives in the US and, for the past 35 years (excluding the pandemic), I have visited her at least once a year, as part of an extended overseas trip. This year, I made my usual US ESTA [Electronic System for Travel Authorisation] application. When it was approved, I purchased a ticket. But a few hours before my flight departure time, I received an email from US Homeland Security cancelling my authorisation to travel. No reason was provided, leaving me in the Kafkaesque situation of having breached some official procedure, while having no way to appeal the decision or determine what that breach could be. It is, of course, unthinkable that in the US, the land of much-vaunted freedom of speech, I should be penalised – as I suspect – for posting online several comments critical of President Trump and his administration, but it remains difficult to think of any reason why it should be acceptable for me to visit the US in May and, then, be suddenly unacceptable in July. There was a time when we only worried about such matters when travelling behind the Iron Curtain. Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy, NSW Letter of the week: Makes scents I toured Beppu, Japan (Traveller, July 12) in early April and there was a lot to see in addition to the various 'hells' (hot water springs). I visited the Otia Fragrance Museum, a two-kilometre downhill walk from the concentration of 'hells' along a funky shopping street. As well as a great history of the development of the fragrance industry and the various packages fragrances come in, the museum has a high-quality and reasonably priced gift shop and a lovely garden coffee shop. Its fragrance is quite different from the springs. I also participated in a workshop developing your own personal perfume for about $30. Yet another fun-filled, different activity in Japan, my favourite destination. Alex Gosman, Canberra, ACT Not so fast track Travelling from Singapore Changi to Sydney on QF2, the queue to enter security was clearly divided into two lines, indicating boarding groups one and two on the left and boarding groups three and four on the right. With no one to separate the boarding groups, not surprisingly the entire planeload joined the groups one and two queue, leaving the groups three and four queues virtually empty. I was travelling business class, entitling me to board in group one and two. Rather than ask for my due, I sauntered over to the near-empty group three and four queue and quickly sailed through. So much for the supposed privileges of fast track/priority boarding. Shamistha de Soysa, Vaucluse, NSW Brownied off
The Age
5 days ago
- The Age
I've travelled to the US for 35 years. My ESTA was revoked without warning
Homeland insecurities My daughter lives in the US and, for the past 35 years (excluding the pandemic), I have visited her at least once a year, as part of an extended overseas trip. This year, I made my usual US ESTA [Electronic System for Travel Authorisation] application. When it was approved, I purchased a ticket. But a few hours before my flight departure time, I received an email from US Homeland Security cancelling my authorisation to travel. No reason was provided, leaving me in the Kafkaesque situation of having breached some official procedure, while having no way to appeal the decision or determine what that breach could be. It is, of course, unthinkable that in the US, the land of much-vaunted freedom of speech, I should be penalised – as I suspect – for posting online several comments critical of President Trump and his administration, but it remains difficult to think of any reason why it should be acceptable for me to visit the US in May and, then, be suddenly unacceptable in July. There was a time when we only worried about such matters when travelling behind the Iron Curtain. Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy, NSW Letter of the week: Makes scents I toured Beppu, Japan (Traveller, July 12) in early April and there was a lot to see in addition to the various 'hells' (hot water springs). I visited the Otia Fragrance Museum, a two-kilometre downhill walk from the concentration of 'hells' along a funky shopping street. As well as a great history of the development of the fragrance industry and the various packages fragrances come in, the museum has a high-quality and reasonably priced gift shop and a lovely garden coffee shop. Its fragrance is quite different from the springs. I also participated in a workshop developing your own personal perfume for about $30. Yet another fun-filled, different activity in Japan, my favourite destination. Alex Gosman, Canberra, ACT Not so fast track Travelling from Singapore Changi to Sydney on QF2, the queue to enter security was clearly divided into two lines, indicating boarding groups one and two on the left and boarding groups three and four on the right. With no one to separate the boarding groups, not surprisingly the entire planeload joined the groups one and two queue, leaving the groups three and four queues virtually empty. I was travelling business class, entitling me to board in group one and two. Rather than ask for my due, I sauntered over to the near-empty group three and four queue and quickly sailed through. So much for the supposed privileges of fast track/priority boarding. Shamistha de Soysa, Vaucluse, NSW Brownied off
Sydney Morning Herald
22-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump's ‘big new' visa fee could slug thousands of Australian travellers
Thousands of Australian business travellers, students and workers heading to the United States are set to be charged a $US250 ($383) visa application fee as part of changes introduced under President Donald Trump's 'big beautiful bill'. Most Australians visiting the US as tourists enter the country under the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, known as the ESTA waiver program, and will have to pay a small increase for the cost of the waiver – from $US21 ($32) to $US40 ($60). The US Department of Homeland Security has the authority to begin the new 'visa integrity fee' from October 1. It can be applied to anyone who is not eligible for the ESTA visa waiver, including the Visa H-1B (specialty occupations), Visa F-1 (academic student), Visa B-1/B-2 (business visitor/tourist visitor), and Visa J-1 (exchange visitor). People will need to pay the charge once their visa application is approved – in addition to the cost of the visa. The fee will also apply to intra-company transferees (Visa L-1) or the visa category for extraordinary ability or achievement in arts, athletics and sciences (Visa O-1). Not everyone can qualify for the ESTA waiver. Among exclusions are people with criminal records or certain dual-nationalities. Travellers in line to be slugged by the 'visa integrity fee' could be eligible to recoup the full cost after legally exiting the country.
The Age
22-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Trump's ‘big new' visa fee could slug thousands of Australian travellers
Thousands of Australian business travellers, students and workers heading to the United States are set to be charged a $US250 ($383) visa application fee as part of changes introduced under President Donald Trump's 'big beautiful bill'. Most Australians visiting the US as tourists enter the country under the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, known as the ESTA waiver program, and will have to pay a small increase for the cost of the waiver – from $US21 ($32) to $US40 ($60). The US Department of Homeland Security has the authority to begin the new 'visa integrity fee' from October 1. It can be applied to anyone who is not eligible for the ESTA visa waiver, including the Visa H-1B (specialty occupations), Visa F-1 (academic student), Visa B-1/B-2 (business visitor/tourist visitor), and Visa J-1 (exchange visitor). People will need to pay the charge once their visa application is approved – in addition to the cost of the visa. The fee will also apply to intra-company transferees (Visa L-1) or the visa category for extraordinary ability or achievement in arts, athletics and sciences (Visa O-1). Not everyone can qualify for the ESTA waiver. Among exclusions are people with criminal records or certain dual-nationalities. Travellers in line to be slugged by the 'visa integrity fee' could be eligible to recoup the full cost after legally exiting the country.
