An approved ESTA should not be considered final and then ignored until the day of travel.

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, some ESTA holders have discovered that their previously approved travel authorization is no longer valid. When checking their application on the official ESTA portal, the status now shows “Travel Not Authorized” instead of “Authorization Approved.”

The issue came to light after notifications from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) advised travelers to verify the status of their ESTA application on the official website. The message indicates that changes have been made to the submitted application.

However, the notification itself does not specify the reason for the status change. Such updates may result from various factors, including modifications to the ESTA application, a change in status, or a request for additional information.

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