USA Visa

[Remster500]

Is a VISA still required when travelling to the states? I was speaking to someone earlier who said you can just register online. Travelling with family for 2 week stay in Orlando in July.

[FunkyGibbon]

The UK still come under the visa waiver scheme, but you must fill in online details with ESTA a minimum of 72 hours before departure

general info here: http://visas.trailfinders.com/visas.nsf/usaentry?R...

official ESTA site here: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

HTH

[Remster500]

Many thanks

[Mr POD]

Takes about 8 mins per person

[Nicol@]

And you must still fill in a green visa waiver form (on the plane) to hand to immigration.

[Puggit]

Nicol@ said:

And you must still fill in a green visa waiver form (on the plane) to hand to immigration.

Are you kidding?!

[TomOSmith]

Puggit said:

Nicol@ said:

And you must still fill in a green visa waiver form (on the plane) to hand to immigration.

Are you kidding?!

The immigration official had absolutely zero interest in my printed out ETSA form and just processed the green visa waiver as per normal. At least you don't have to write your name three times on the ETSA (though I suppose it's upto 4 times now as you have to that and the waiver ).

[Deva Link]

TomOSmith said:

Puggit said:

Nicol@ said:

And you must still fill in a green visa waiver form (on the plane) to hand to immigration.

Are you kidding?!

The immigration official had absolutely zero interest in my printed out ETSA form and just processed the green visa waiver as per normal. At least you don't have to write your name three times on the ETSA (though I suppose it's upto 4 times now as you have to that and the waiver ).

It's bonkers - the ESTA is *mandatory*, but they don't actually use it at all yet.

[v15ben]

Apparently the official theory is that the ESTA is to get you on a plane to the US and the Green Card is to get you into the country at the other end. Sounds totally daft to me

[Deva Link]

v15ben said:

Apparently the official theory is that the ESTA is to get you on a plane to the US

I think that's API (advanced passenger information) you're thinking of.

ESTA was supposed to replace the visa waiver forms.

[v15ben]

Do you mean the API that people have to add to their existing ESTA for new trips to the USA? Flight details and the like??

[Deva Link]

v15ben said:

Do you mean the API that people have to add to their existing ESTA for new trips to the USA? Flight details and the like??

No, the API is the info you give to the airline before you fly. ESTA is kind of a mix of that and the visa waiver application.

[v15ben]

Ah that makes sense

[Hub]

Nicol@ said:

And you must still fill in a green visa waiver form (on the plane) to hand to immigration.

I was shocked at this. Exactly the same green card that I thought it was to replace, with exactly the same questions as had already been provided online - i.e. were you involved in Nazi Germany etc!

[bazking69]

Mr POD said:

Takes about 8 mins per person

Takes my missus 16 minutes then...
Form fillings, something I simply can't be asked with.

[Deva Link]

Hub said:

Nicol@ said:

And you must still fill in a green visa waiver form (on the plane) to hand to immigration.

I was shocked at this. Exactly the same green card that I thought it was to replace, with exactly the same questions as had already been provided online - i.e. were you involved in Nazi Germany etc!

Actually it's not the same - to further irritate and confuse, they've slightly changed the green visa form by adding a couple of extra questions. I think they've merged the forms for people who have a visa with the visa waiver form becuase it now asks where your visa was issued.
You just leave that bit blank if you don;t have one.

It also asks for a phone number and email address while in the US.

[Nicol@]

Immigration are a bit wild too.

My o/h went through and showed his ESTA number with his green form and was told he needed the ESTA form, not just the number. The guy said that he will not be let in next time if he did not have the form.

A couple of days later I went to the same airport immigration and showed my ESTA number with the green form. The guy told me that he didn't need my ESTA details as they were already on the computer!

The immigration staff don't seem to know what to do.

[Deva Link]

Nicol@ said:

Immigration are a bit wild too.

My o/h went through and showed his ESTA number with his green form and was told he needed the ESTA form, not just the number. The guy said that he will not be let in next time if he did not have the form.

A couple of days later I went to the same airport immigration and showed my ESTA number with the green form. The guy told me that he didn't need my ESTA details as they were already on the computer!

The immigration staff don't seem to know what to do.

Interesting - I've never heard of anyone being asked about ESTA before, certainly not mentioned when we went in March and other people who have been since have reported the same.

On the ESTA website it offers the option to print the form, but it specifically says that you don't need to.

[whirligig]

We got back from the States yesterday and in spite of doing the ESTA on line before we went we still had to fill in all the forms in the airport as the system isn't up and working properly yet apparantly.

[AstonZagato]

Deva Link said:

Hub said:

Nicol@ said:

And you must still fill in a green visa waiver form (on the plane) to hand to immigration.

I was shocked at this. Exactly the same green card that I thought it was to replace, with exactly the same questions as had already been provided online - i.e. were you involved in Nazi Germany etc!

Actually it's not the same - to further irritate and confuse, they've slightly changed the green visa form by adding a couple of extra questions. I think they've merged the forms for people who have a visa with the visa waiver form becuase it now asks where your visa was issued.
You just leave that bit blank if you don;t have one.

It also asks for a phone number and email address while in the US.

I go quite often to the States and you don't always get the new form - when I went to Miami a couple of weeks ago it was the same old green waiver jobbie. Bizarrely, I got the first one with "Visa Number" on it last year and asked the Immigration guy whether it was linked to ESTA. He looked a bit miffed and said I wasn't supposed to have that form. I decided, given that the immigration people are the most humourless jobsworths you'll meet in the US, that I'd keep schtum and stop annoying him.