The Group Application Nightmare: 4 Approved, 1 Pending
It’s a scenario that causes incredible stress. You applied for a Kenya eTA for your entire family or group. You may have even used the “Add Another Applicant” feature on the official etakenya.go.ke website. Within 72 hours, the approvals start rolling in… for your spouse, your children, your friends. But one person—maybe even you—is left behind. Their status is still “Pending.”
You’re now faced with a terrible question: “Do we cancel the whole trip? What went wrong with that one application?”
First: do not panic. This is the single most common problem with group applications. Here is why it happens and how you can fix it.
Why Is One Person’s eTA Still Pending?
There are two primary reasons this happens, and neither means the application is rejected.
- The “Split Queue” Problem
Even if you applied as a group, the Kenyan immigration system does not process your applications as one single file. Each application is treated individually. This means your family’s applications are split and sent to different immigration officers working at different speeds. Three of your applications might land on an officer’s desk who is working quickly, while the two lands in a much slower queue. - The “Hidden Flag” Problem (Most Likely)
This is the most common reason for a delay. Your other group members had perfect applications. However, the one “Pending” application may have a tiny, almost invisible issue that a computer flagged for manual review. This could be:- A slightly blurry passport photo.
- A name that doesn’t perfectly match the passport (e.g., missing a middle name).
- A hotel booking confirmation that was hard to read.
The application isn’t “rejected”—it’s just been pulled out of the fast-approval line and is now sitting in a slow-moving manual review pile, waiting for an officer to look at it. It will likely stay “Pending” until an officer acts, and that can take weeks.
What You Can Do (And What You Shouldn’t)
What you SHOULD NOT do: Do not re-apply for that one person. This creates a duplicate application, confuses the system, and can lead to both applications being delayed or rejected. You will also lose your original application fee.
What you CAN try: You can contact the official government support channels (email etakenya@ecitizen.go.ke or the WhatsApp/phone numbers). However, as many travelers know, the support lines are overwhelmed and it is very difficult to get a specific, helpful response for your one pending case.
The Guaranteed Solution: eTA Rush
This is precisely where eTA Rush comes in. We are an advocacy service with direct immigration contacts. We specialize in fixing these “one person pending” group applications.
You don’t need to expedite the whole group. You just need to solve the one problem. Our $50 Expedited Resolution service is designed for this.
Our “Proof-of-Connection” Guarantee
We know you need to trust us, especially when your family’s trip is on the line. Our risk-free process proves our access.
- You send us ONLY the Application Reference Number and document number or first name for the one “Pending” traveler.
- Our immigration contact finds their file. To prove we have it, we will email you back confirming the Full Name on that specific file.
- Only after you confirm the name is correct do we send a link to pay our $50 Expedite Fee.
- Once paid, we get the file manually reviewed and approved. The stuck traveler will receive their approval directly from the official government email:
donot_reply@ecitizen.go.ke.
You get to save your group’s trip without the stress and without risking more money on a new application.
Don’t Let One Delay Stall Your Whole Trip
A single pending eTA can jeopardize the entire group’s travel plans. Don’t wait and hope. Let our team in Kenya provide a guaranteed solution and get your group’s final member approved.