How do they know when you leave on an ESTA ?

[fcat 79]

Just curious, when you enter the US from the UK on an ESTA you have 90 days.

How do they know when you leave ? in the "olden" days i know they collected the I94 green part out of your passport before you left but now nothing is collected and nothing is filled in to say you have left!

Edited January 23, 2013 by fcat

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

They use flight manifests to track passengers' exits.

[fcat 79]

They use flight manifests to track passengers' exits.

Are you sure on this ?

I was talking to a United rep when i was in the US the last time and they had no idea as they didnt input anything into the system. I cant see the CBP going through all the flight manifests looking for tourists and entering dates in a computer! maybe im wrong though, as i said i was just curious how it worked:)

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Yep. Positive. Obviously that was not one of the rep's duties. The US is more fancy than counting slips of paper now. All exits are recorded, not just tourists.

[fcat 79]

Cool, thanks:) so how would it work if two people of the same name came in ? as when you exit the US, your passport isn't scanned anywhere!

Edited January 23, 2013 by fcat

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

It is all done by computers exchanging data. There was a case of a denied AOS because the airlines incorrectly showed the person left on his ticketed return.

[fcat 79]

ok thanks:)

[kzielu 1,149]

Are you sure on this ?

I was talking to a United rep when i was in the US the last time and they had no idea as they didnt input anything into the system. I cant see the CBP going through all the flight manifests looking for tourists and entering dates in a computer! maybe im wrong though, as i said i was just curious how it worked:)

Of course. Even US embassy sites clearly say I-94 from non-VWP passengers is just a secondary data.

[Tygrys 143]

Cool, thanks:) so how would it work if two people of the same name came in ? as when you exit the US, your passport isn't scanned anywhere!

Yes, it is scanned. At the airline ticket counter.

[JohnR! 5,495]

Cool, thanks:) so how would it work if two people of the same name came in ? as when you exit the US, your passport isn't scanned anywhere!

They collate passenger name with passport number and date of birth.