{"id":931459,"date":"2026-10-17T12:50:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T12:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/931459\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T12:50:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T12:50:12","slug":"us-esta-visa-waiver-queensland-man-david-missed-his-cruise-over-soul-destroying-visa-bungle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/931459\/","title":{"rendered":"US ESTA visa waiver: Queensland man David missed his cruise over \u2018soul-destroying\u2019 visa bungle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exclusive: A Queensland man has called on the Australian government for help after a \u201csoul-destroying\u201d visa error<\/a> barred him from flying to the US with his wife to embark on a dream holiday.<\/p>\n

David and Julie were preparing for a 26-day cruise leaving in September, with plans to depart from Los Angeles<\/a> and sail around the Hawaiian islands and French Polynesia.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

David and Julie\u2019s holiday to the US and French Polynesia was ruined due to a clerical error.\u00a0Nine.com.au<\/p>\n

The frequent fliers applied for an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA)<\/a> visa waiver in the recommended 72-hour timeframe before their Qantas flight to LA.<\/p>\n

An ESTA is valid for two years and allows multiple trips to the US without a visa for stays of 90 days or less.<\/p>\n

Having visited the US a number of times before, David had previously been approved for an ESTA without issue.<\/p>\n

This time, Julie\u2019s ESTA was approved instantly. David\u2019s, however, was inexplicably denied.<\/p>\n

\u201cJulie came straight back, and mine was denied, and that all happened on a Friday afternoon, and of course, you can\u2019t do anything on a weekend,\u201d David told nine.com.au.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just trying to get hold of anyone… because we were supposed to be flying on the Tuesday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The fee for an ESTA visa waiver is $40 USD ($58) and most are approved instantly.\u00a0PA Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The couple spent over $13,000 booking a holiday to mark their wedding anniversary and David\u2019s 70th birthday.<\/p>\n

But without an approved ESTA, David would be denied boarding at the gate on a flight to continental USA or any of its territories.<\/p>\n

Their milestone holiday hanging in the balance, David flew to the US Consulate in Sydney for answers.<\/p>\n

If an ESTA is denied, travellers can apply for a non-immigrant visa, including a B-2 Visitor Visa.<\/p>\n

Australians requiring this visa need to schedule an appointment at a US Consulate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably similar to trying to get into Fort Knox,\u201d David said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got to a security guard, pleaded my case, and all I got was an incorrect email address to lodge my details.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was at breakdown stage at that point because Julie and I were supposed to be travelling Tuesday night.\u201d<\/p>\n

David was told the next available appointment was in November 2028.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to wait two years just to get an appointment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Queensland couple had booked a dream cruise to mark their wedding anniversary and David\u2019s 70th birthday.\u00a0Nine.com.au<\/p>\n

Aussie travellers returning from US accused of overstaying ESTA visas<\/p>\n

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not give a reason when an ESTA is denied.<\/p>\n

David suspects the reason is a clerical error.<\/p>\n

Nine.com.au has previously reported on issues faced by Australian passengers who have been accused of illegally overstaying on an ESTA visa waiver.<\/a><\/p>\n

US immigration appears to have failed to record some outbound passengers on cruises and planes, potentially exposing a hole in the country\u2019s exit checks for foreign nationals.<\/p>\n

David requested a record of his and Julie\u2019s travels in and out of the US from the Department of Home Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Australia.<\/p>\n

Julie\u2019s travel history indicated an arrival and departure from the US during a previous trip between September 29 and October 1, 2024.<\/p>\n

David\u2019s travel history did not include a departure date on October 1, despite the fact the couple sailed out of the US and arrived back in Australia that month.<\/p>\n

According to US immigration records, David overstayed his ESTA.<\/p>\n

This triggers a permanent revocation of his eligibility to travel on a visa waiver. <\/p>\n

\u201cJulie\u2019s is showing as departed. I\u2019m apparently still there,\u201d David said. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Despite previously successfully applying for an ESTA visa waiver, his application was denied in late September.\u00a0Supplied<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no entry for my departure from Hawaii, and therefore I think it\u2019s fallen into the \u2018overstay\u2019 bin.\u201d<\/p>\n

David will need to fix this error with the Department of Homeland Security Traveller Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) scheme.<\/p>\n

Travellers who use this scheme to correct entry issues into the US and are given a reference number to prevent any misidentifications.<\/p>\n

However, smooth travel on an ESTA is still not guaranteed under this redress.<\/p>\n

Melissa Vincenty, US immigration lawyer and founder of Worldwide Migration Partners, previously told nine.com.au that ESTA visa waivers are issued via a flawed system.<\/p>\n

“ESTA travel is a privilege but is also run by AI bots, so any deviation in their data can cause an ESTA to be refused,” Vincenty said.<\/p>\n

“Doing a formal visa application gives the applicant a chance to present documents or data to correct their immigration record at the consulate level.”<\/p>\n

Future travel plans in limbo<\/p>\n

David flew to Papeete to join Julie on the cruise in Tahiti, missing out on 17 days of sailing.<\/p>\n

The portion of the cruise he missed is not covered under insurance.<\/p>\n

Most travel insurance companies don\u2019t provide cover if a person is unable to travel because they do not have the right visa.<\/p>\n

The entire debacle has cost the couple over $17,500 in airfares, accommodation, visa fees and return trips to Sydney.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not wealthy, and we\u2019ve worked hard for our retirement,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut to have it sort of just come crashing down like that through no fault of our own is, you know… it\u2019s soul-destroying.\u201d <\/p>\n

David and Julie now fear future travel plans involving US borders will also be impacted.<\/p>\n

They have another trip booked for April and May 2027 that requires passing through the country.<\/p>\n

They both believe the Australian government should offer better support for citizens impacted by this ESTA error.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel totally frustrated and exasperated,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI simply do not know who (or where) to seek guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nine.com.au has contacted the US Customers and Border Protection (CBP), the Australian Department of Home Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the US Embassy for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Exclusive: A Queensland man has called on the Australian government for help after a \u201csoul-destroying\u201d visa error barred…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":931460,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-931459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/931459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=931459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/931459\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/931460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=931459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=931459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=931459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}