Fans travelling to the USA for the World Cup are already facing eye-watering costs, and now some Scotland supporters could be denied entry entirely despite having spent thousands getting there.
The tournament is set to generate billions for FIFA, with broadcast deals alone worth over $3.8bn. But for ordinary fans, the cost of tickets, hotels and travel has already been a major talking point, and now the visa issue is making things even worse.
Some have paid for flights, accommodation and match plans, only to have their previously approved travel authorisations changed just days before Scotland’s first game.
One family stands to lose nearly $10,000.
Scotland fans caught out by sudden ESTA changes
As BBC Scotland have reported, several fans have seen their US ESTA status switch from ‘approved’ to ‘travel not authorised’ just before they were due to fly out.
UK citizens typically use an ESTA to visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa. Once approved, many assumed it was safe to finalise their plans. But now, some are scrambling to secure last-minute consulate appointments.
Scott Braid, 43, from Kirkcaldy, was set to fly to Boston on June 12th with his wife and two children. He told the BBC: “Out of the blue on Tuesday, I got an email that said there’s been an update on your ESTA status.”
His status changed from approved to pending, and then to travel not authorised within two hours.
He added: “Since I’ve done that ESTA there’s been absolutely no changes to my circumstances. That’s the frustrating thing, not knowing why this has happened.”
Brothers Andrew and Nelson Speirs faced a similar shock. They had planned to travel to Miami for Andrew’s 40th birthday, and their ESTAs were approved in December. But on June 3rd, their status changed.
Nelson explained: “It’s not given us very much time to do anything about it. I don’t think it’s fair, they shouldn’t authorise somebody to go then take it back. We didn’t book anything until we were authorised.”
Their trip was worth around £10,000 ($12,000) — a huge sum to have at risk before a ball has even been kicked.
And it is not just fans feeling the impact. Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was held by US immigration officials for nearly seven hours after arriving with his national team.
Acting assistant secretary of Homeland Security Lauren Bis told the BBC that all ESTA applications are ‘continuously vetted’ against law enforcement and security databases, and that an approved ESTA ‘does not guarantee admission’.
But for the Scotland fans who splurged a significant sum of money on what was supposed to be a dream World Cup holiday, that doesn’t do much to soften the blow.
