What can Scots fans do if their US ESTA's have been revoked?

Scotland fans at risk of missing out on their World Cup trip to America could still have options, according to experts on US immigration law.

There are only days to go until Steve Clarke’s men kick off their tournament in Boston against Haiti before further games against Morocco and Brazil this month.

Thousands of Tartan Army supporters are making the journey to the States, but some are having their hopes dashed at the last minute because of travel permit issues.

To enter the US, people must have the US Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), which is a 90-day visa waiver.

But some fans have had theirs revoked for no apparent reason, potentially missing out on the trip of a lifetime.

Charlotte Slocombe, a partner at law firm Fragomen, which specialises in US immigration issues, says there can be several reasons an ESTA may be denied or revoked.

She told STV News: “If you have ticked yes to arrest or conviction, for example, of a serious offence, that’s an automatic denial.

“Or in the case of somebody who already has ESTA, it could be an event that has occurred during that time of approval that would trigger a revocation of an existing ESTA.

“That could extend to a drink driving offence or an arrest, or sometimes a relatively minor event could trigger an ESTA revocation.

“Cuba is one of those countries that would trigger automatic ESTA denial and ineligibility, and that is not commonly known amongst the British population that sees it as a tourist destination, so that is one that has recently changed.

“But if there is nothing obvious and there is no relationship, i.e., marriage, spouse or dependents that are from one of the countries on the list of concern to the US government, it could be a security clearance issue.

“That would mean sometimes a false-name hit, so somebody who has got the same name as somebody on the list. That certainly has happened to some of my clients in the past. It’s a common thing to happen.

“There is no right to entry, there is no right to ESTA, so it’s seen as a privilege. Unfortunately, there is no recourse.”

Social media has also been cited as a possible reason for travel permits being revoked; however, it is not mandatory to include social media profiles in your application.

“If there is derogatory information on your social media, then this could trigger some issues”, Charlotte explained.

“I wouldn’t say it’s black and white. Certainly, social media is looked at through the visa process as well as ESTA, but at the moment it’s not quite the same intense vetting as it is for other visa classifications.”

With fans potentially thousands of pounds out of pocket, Charlotte says there are other avenues to explore before giving up entirely. This includes applying for a visa at the US Embassy in Belfast or London and going through the FIFA PASS (Priority Appointment Scheduling System), which would give them priority in accessing a visa interview.

Current wait times for visa appointments without FIFA PASS are the end of July for London and mid-August for Belfast.

“If you are in this situation, go ahead and try to book an appointment with the embassy with the FIFA PASS, and that will speed up the appointment process, but there is no guarantee of being approved.”

Fans could also contact the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Trip program, which can help resolve security issues.

“If they feel there is nothing derogatory that should be on the system, I would encourage DHS Trip,” she added.

“It is separate from the embassy process and something that can happen in the background.

“I think that if there is a genuine concern that something is derogatory on the system, that’s not accurate. Certainly, that’s a mechanism.”

“To the fans that haven’t applied yet. Apply now.

“The worst scenario I have had is a 14-day wait for an ESTA, and it was subsequently approved, so don’t wait, apply now.”