An approved ESTA should not be treated as a document to simply file away until the day of travel to the United States.
As the 2026 World Cup approaches in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, some ESTA holders are discovering that their travel authorization, despite having initially been approved, is no longer valid. When checking their file on the official portal, the status now appears as “Travel Not Authorized” instead of “Authorization Approved.”
Affected travelers have contacted VisasNews after receiving a notification from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) asking them to check their ESTA file. The message reads: “There has been an update to your ESTA Travel Authorization Status submitted on […]. Please visit https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta to check your application.”
The notification does not, by itself, specify the nature of the change. It may be sent for different reasons related to an ESTA file, whether an approval, a status change or an update requiring the traveler to verify their application.
The issue does not appear to be isolated. The BBC has reported cases involving Scottish soccer fans planning to travel for the World Cup whose ESTA authorizations were allegedly withdrawn after initially being granted. Several accounts describe a change in authorization status without a detailed explanation being provided to the traveler.
An ESTA can be approved, then later become invalid
ESTA, short for Electronic System for Travel Authorization, allows nationals of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program to travel to the United States without a visa for tourism, business or transit stays of up to 90 days.
But ESTA is not a visa, and it does not guarantee entry into the United States. It only allows travelers to board a carrier bound for the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. Final admission is still determined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers upon arrival.
U.S. authorities state that an approved ESTA is generally valid for two years, or until the passport used for the application expires, unless it is revoked. That last point matters: an authorization can therefore, in theory, stop being valid before the expiration date initially displayed.
The same caution applies to other electronic travel authorizations
This precaution is not limited to the United States. Many countries now use electronic travel authorizations, sometimes called ETA, eTA, AVE or prior travel authorizations, which must be obtained before boarding.
Depending on the system, an approved authorization may be reviewed, amended or canceled before departure, particularly if new information emerges, eligibility rules change or authorities determine that the traveler no longer meets the required criteria. In such cases, travelers may only discover that their authorization is no longer valid when checking their file or during airline check-in.
Beyond the U.S. ESTA, the situation highlights a practical rule that applies to all electronic travel authorizations: travelers should check the status of their authorization before each trip, even if it was already approved.
Check your authorization status before traveling
VisasNews recommends that travelers not rely solely on the approval status received immediately after submitting an online application. Before any trip to the United States, travelers should return to the official ESTA website, esta.cbp.dhs.gov, and check the current status of their authorization using the “CHECK ESTA STATUS” section.
This check is especially recommended a few days before departure, the day before travel, before online check-in with the airline and, where possible, before heading to the airport.
The precaution also applies to travelers who obtained their ESTA several weeks or months earlier. It is particularly important in the context of the 2026 World Cup, which is expected to generate a sharp increase in travel to the United States.
ESTA: What to do if the status says “Travel Not Authorized”
If the status changes to “Travel Not Authorized,” the traveler can no longer travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program using that ESTA authorization.
U.S. authorities state that a traveler whose ESTA application is denied and who still wishes to travel must apply for a nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
In practice, that option may be difficult to arrange at short notice because of visa appointment and processing delays. Travelers are therefore advised to check their ESTA as early as possible, especially when the trip is tied to a fixed-date event, such as a match, an organized trip or an international connection.
No automatic explanation
Travelers affected by a status change do not necessarily receive a detailed explanation of the reason. The causes may vary: updated information, a new review of the file, travel history, an answer to an eligibility question, checks against other databases or any element considered relevant by U.S. authorities.
At this stage, there has been no official announcement of a broad campaign to cancel approved ESTA authorizations. The cases reported nonetheless call for caution: an authorization that was valid when issued should be checked again before departure.
For travelers, the practical rule is simple: before leaving for the United States, check online that the ESTA still appears as approved. A screenshot or printout of the status may be kept, but only the status recorded in the official system at the time of travel is authoritative.
