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kryt0n

VIP Member
Sep 30, 2014
5,422
274
NOC Code......
2172
AOR Received.
16-03-2017
Passport Req..
11-07-2017
Hi all,

I flagpoled at the USA boarder to get a visa over a year ago. I have since got my ESTA visa and have been to the states with no issue.

When answering 'have you been refused entry to another country' do I say yes and explain or no... Was i refused?

I called Coutts/Sweetgrass directly when applying for my ESTA 3 times who said I wasn't refused, the third time I was passed to a 'supervisor' who said it was administrative and meant nothing.

Also, on the 'refusal' letter we got at the boarder, it even spelt my boyfriends name wrong.

Anyone else?
 
Hey,
I know this topic is a bit old, but did you ever get to the bottom of this? Do you have to declare these flag polling "ADMINISTRATIVE REFUSAL" on the ESTA application?

Has anyone ever did either way?

cheers,
Rob
 
kryt0n said:
Hi all,

I flagpoled at the USA boarder to get a visa over a year ago. I have since got my ESTA visa and have been to the states with no issue.

When answering 'have you been refused entry to another country' do I say yes and explain or no... Was i refused?

I called Coutts/Sweetgrass directly when applying for my ESTA 3 times who said I wasn't refused, the third time I was passed to a 'supervisor' who said it was administrative and meant nothing.

Also, on the 'refusal' letter we got at the boarder, it even spelt my boyfriends name wrong.

Anyone else?

I also did flagpoling three months ago at Carway border. It was an administrative refusal which we got at US border, and meant nothing. I have also answered NO to whether I have been refused entry to any country.
 
reservoirdog said:
Hey,
I know this topic is a bit old, but did you ever get to the bottom of this? Do you have to declare these flag polling "ADMINISTRATIVE REFUSAL" on the ESTA application?

Has anyone ever did either way?

cheers,
Rob
We questioned the US border agent in depth on this issue while flagpoling. She told my Slovak partner absolutely NOT to say on the ESTA form that he had been refused entry. She said it was administrative, not real, and that reporting it as a refusal could cause problems. "If it was a real refusal, we would be fingerprinting you," she said - and sent us back to the Canadian side.
 
The administrative "refusal" you receive when flagpoling doesn't count as a refusal with either Canada or the U.S.
 
Thanks for the info everybody!