I have put down on my ESTA that I am travelling in transit to another country when I'm not, I am only going on holiday for two weeks.
Will I still get in? There is no address where i'm staying in the US
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2May I ask if that was intentional or accidental ? Immigration might ask you for a proof of your next flight, and they usually ask where you're staying if you're visiting– blackbirdCommented Nov 9, 2015 at 14:10
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You can always update the address in the US, even after being approved. I am not sure whether that's recommended in this scenario.– RelaxedCommented Nov 9, 2015 at 14:22
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Why did you choose to lie about something that is so easy to disprove? If you're legitimately in transit, you'll have clear travel plans, like an onward ticket from the same or a nearby airport, a rental car reservation to drive to Canada or Mexico, etc... You'd also have plans for the country you're transiting to and a ticket back home from there. These are all things you could be asked about and would be easy for anyone telling the truth to prove. If CBP believes you are lying to them about one thing, it will be far harder to convince them you are telling the truth about anything else.– Zach LiptonCommented Nov 9, 2015 at 20:19
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@ZachLipton: Why do you think they lied? It is not at all unreasonable to have intended to transit when originally getting the ESTA and later having plans to travel while still within the 2-year validity period of the ESTA.– user102008Commented Nov 11, 2015 at 23:46
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1It was implied in the question, though it is possible they are planning a subsequent visit after completing the ESTA form. There's no requirement to update your ESTA information after it is approved. The most important question is whether they intend to the truth if asked about their plans at immigration.– Zach LiptonCommented Nov 12, 2015 at 0:10
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1 Answer
You might get in, the online part of the ESTA is not so important.
But you will need to fill out a landing card. You will be asked to give your address on it and then it will be read by a US Customs and Border Protection Officer (usually twice: once at passport control and again at customs). If you are really transiting it is normal to give the address of the airport when you are transiting.
The officer may question your onward intentions. In the past when transiting to Brazil via New York I have being asked to state where I'd be staying in Brazil and my reasons for going to Brazil, including a brief plan of what I intended to do there. It was a friendly conversation that lasted a couple of minutes, but only because I wasn't lying.
In that instance my US entry stamp was limited to one day, which of course was perfectly sufficient since I was transiting and left about two hours after I arrived. (In every other entry I've been given ninety days.)
It is better to give an approximate address on the US CBP form and explain yourself about it when questioned rather than be caught lying about transiting.