Scotland fan has US visa revoked an hour before flying to World Cup

A Scotland football fan has told how he found out an hour before flying to the World Cup finals in the US that his travel permit had been revoked.

Michael Wright had been due to head off to the States for a dream 30th birthday trip with his brother and had tickets for Scotland's group stage games against Haiti and Morocco.

But he ended up having to send his brother through the security gates at Manchester Airport on his own when his visa status switched from "approved" to "pending" and finally to "travel not authorised".

Michael, who is from Greenock but now lives in Australia, said: "I don't think I've ever felt that bad."

He added: "I sent my brother through security because I still wanted him to go and enjoy his holiday. And I didn't want him to see me ready to break down."

He told BBC Scotland News he could think of "no valid reason" for the change in his visa status and the US authorities had not given him one.

UK citizens who want to go to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa need to apply to the country's Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

But dozens of fans who filled out the form have said on social media that their application status had changed in the days leading up to the World Cup kicking off on Thursday.

Some supporters have now been told to make last-minute trips to the US Consulate in Belfast to secure approval of their visas.

First Minister John Swinney said he had contacted US officials over the issue and would do "all I can to help" those affected.

He said: "I have asked officials to convey our hope that they can resolve this so that Scotland's fans do not miss out."

Michael, who emigrated to Australia nine years ago, applied for his ESTA in March.

He travelled home to Greenock to spend two weeks with his family before preparing to head off to the US with no concerns about his visa status.

"In my eyes, there's no valid reason for them to decline it," he said.

"I live in what most people would say is the second hardest country in the world to get a visa. I've been living there nearly 10 years, reapplying for visas and completing police checks.

"They (the US authorities) granted it originally so I'm not sure why they've decided to look back into it."

Acting assistant secretary of US Homeland Security, Lauren Bis, previously told the BBC that the tightening of granting ESTAs was because "the Trump administration is enforcing immigration laws".

"Under the Visa Waiver Program, all ESTA applications are continuously vetted against law enforcement and security databases," she said.

"Travellers must provide complete and truthful information, including all criminal history."

Michael Wright said the late U-turn had left him feeling "very raw" - as well as thousands of pounds out of pocket.