Mistakenly selected transit on ESTA application regarding entry intent

United States (B1/B2)
1

Greetings all. I recently submitted my ESTA application for a holiday to New York, but I fear I have made a slight administrative error.

In the section asking “Is your travel to the US occurring in transit to another country?”, I mistakenly selected “Yes”. I am actually intending to stay in the US for 10 days to visit museums and friends. I contacted the assistance helpline, and the agent told me I do not need to worry—she said to just bring the correct information (my return ticket and hotel address) to show the border officer.

However, I am feeling quite uneasy about this. The application fee was $40 (I used a processing service), and I am wondering if I should just pay it again to reapply with the correct “No” answer to avoid trouble. Has anyone entered successfully with this specific error, or will the airline denied me boarding? Thank you kindly for your advice.

2

Realizing this is not about a visa refusal but a data discrepancy, here is the situation.

3

Has anyone from Southeast Asia actually tested this specific validation logic at the check-in counters recently?

4

I was subjected to a rigorous secondary inspection at JFK due to a similar inconsistency regarding my declared intent versus my documentation.

5

You’re not the first person this has happened to, and it’s honestly a minor ESTA error. The “transit” question doesn’t determine eligibility — it’s more about intent routing. Airlines mainly check ESTA validity, not the individual answers, so you won’t be denied boarding just for that. At the border, CBP cares about what you actually do, not a checkbox mistake. If you’re staying 10 days with a return ticket, accommodation, and clear plans, that’s what matters.

That said, if reapplying gives you peace of mind, it’s not wrong to do so — but it’s not required. Many people enter successfully with small ESTA errors and clarify verbally on arrival. If it were a criminal history or prior overstay question, different story. This one’s low risk.