Herts T555 Bird

Guys need a little advice quickly!

Me and the other half have booked 2 weeks in Florida, paid everything upfront tickets for things, car, travel insurance, etc!

I was informed when booking the holiday, that all we have to do is get to the airport 5 hours before flight(HOW STUPID) so they sort security out, and when on the plane you fill out a visa waiver!

Just spoken to my boss at work who tells me a different story of needing to go to the american embassy to get a visa? well i go in 12 days i think i should really sort this out quickly if i want to go?

Anyone else been recently? calm my nerves please

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Just get on the plane and fill out a White or green card they give you and hand it in at the immigration desk in florida and bobs your uncle.

If your British you do not need a visa for the US. Under any circumstances so don't listen to anyone about needing one.

Have a good holiday

Steve

JohnMcC

Been to the states many times and there is no need to do anything like that AFAIK - you fill in the Visa Waiver on the plane - assuming you are a UK citizen.........

what would scooby do

Yup visa waiver programme is still in effect - just make sure your passports don't expire before September as you need to have at least 90 days left on them IIRC

MattW

The story with the Embassy visit is for passports issued after September this year. The US want all passports to have biometric data, and the UK will not comply until 2005(IIRC).

Therefore passports issued between September 04 and whenever we get our act together will need a special visa. Thos issued before Sept 04 will be ok until expiry.

The British Govt were hoping to negotiate an extension, but haven't see any further news about it.

So in summary, assuming your passports were issued before Sept 04 you are fine.

Herts T555 Bird

Do I qualify for visa free travel?
Most visitors to the United States enter the country as tourists. With the introduction of visa free travel to citizens of 27 countries, it is now possible for many travelers, including British citizens, to enter the United States without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program (WVP). Visa free travel is also available to qualified travelers who enter the United States on business or in transit.

Citizens of the following countries: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom may travel visa free under the VISA WAIVER PROGRAM if they meet ALL of the following requirements:

The traveler is a citizen of one of the countries named above, traveling on an unexpired national or EU passport. Passport holders from Andorra, Belgium, Brunei, Liechtenstein and Slovenia must be in possession of individual machine readable passports in order to travel visa free. For citizens of the other 22 visa free countries, including the United Kingdom, this requirement has been postponed until October 26, 2004. Read more....... A passport indicating that the bearer is a British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British National (Overseas) Citizen, or British Protected Person does not qualify for travel without a visa. Note: A passport which states holder has Right of Abode or indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom does not qualify for visa free travel;
Traveling for business, pleasure or transit only;
Staying in the United States for 90 days or less;


ON THIS SITE IT SAYS NOTHING ABOUT Passports etc being this years etc..

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/visa/niv/vwp.htm

nice little project for someone cause the embassy is engaged all day everyday!

boxst

Hello

As mentioned above you do not need a visa. And getting to the Airport five hours early is just stupid. I normally get to the airport one hour (or less) before my flight. I have been to America five times in the past few months with no problems.

Steve.

Brit_in_Japan

Do you have 6 months left on the passports ? If so, no need to worry. If between 6 months and 90 days left, you need to find out pretty quickly whether this is OK. Less than 90 days, you need a new passport, definitely.

You do not need a visa to take a holiday in the US, UK citizens are part of the Visa Waiver Programme, fill in the green form on the aircraft.

From October 2004 you will need a machine readable passport to get into the US. This does not have the biometric data on it, you will have to wait until 2005 for the UK to introduce "chip" passports on which biometric data is contained.

RayC

Have you resolved this yet, i quickly scanned down the posts, which seem to be correct

I have jsut come back from Miami, (went on the 5th of May this year)

The process is quite simple, I would give yourself 3 hours to check in, some of the queues at Heathrow can be very bad to check in

You will be given two forms, one green (each preson needs on of these) this is your Visa Waiver form, you fill this in and hand it in at immigration, you will also be given one white form per family, this is your customs declaration, you need to fill this in too and hand it in when you get to immigration, they stamp it and hand it back, you then collect your luggage and when clearing customs hand in the white customs declaration, simple really.

I always fill the form in by their rules to avoid hassle, your country of origin is Great Britain and you are a British citizen, Dont put England or you are English they will send you back to fill it out again and the queues can be very long

Enjoy your holiday

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

5 hours

Book a VIP lounge...£20 odd free food, papers, drinks and the best of alll: peace and quiet from the crowds. Especially if your flying out of Heathrow.

I hate Heathrow - it's a page long rant on this stupid airport...so I'll finish before I'll start

RayC

I dont know he is going from heathrow i used it as an example, best bet is to travel lots and collect the airmiles, i can book in business class even when flying veal calf (economy) with one world alliance gold card - sweet!

But i agree heathrow is not good!

Markus

Here's my 2 cents worth on this, which might count for something as I travel a fair bit to the US.

I've not read all the posts, so forgive me if I'm repeating stuff.

When you get on the plane or at check in, you will get two forms, one green (I94 waiver) and a Customs declaration. Fill both of them in (don't be a fool and for a laff, check the 'yes' to "are you or have you ever been involved in terrorisim", I know someone who did this for a laff and thankfully it was pre 9/11 but they took a very, very dim view of this).

Hand them over when you get to US Immigration, expect to be looked at as though you're a dog turd, as US Immigration seem to be the most humorless and **** bunch of immigration people I've ever come across.

That's it, simple as that.

One other thing and this is VERY important, they will put the bottom part of the green form in your passport, YOU need to hand this in when you're flying back to the UK, the idea here is they send it off (to washington i think) and link this up with the main form they keep, so they can track you have left the US. If you don't hand it in then after three months you go on the visa expiry list, and you can have problems when you re-enter the US as they can claim you've never left. I've left them in a few times and never had any real hassle, but my boss has, and does, he usually has a nice seat with the customs chappies while they keep him waiting for a hour or so, and he has missed a few connecting flights due to this.

So, you don't need to go to the embasy for a visa.

DO turn up at least 3 hours before the flight, 5 seems VERY excessive, I've flown from heathrow and gatwick and 3 hours has always been fine. Security will take a while to clear, and prepare to be checked when you land in the US, yes, they are totally and utterly **** about security now, I've seen changes in the past year I've been travelling. Things like taking your shoes off, and having to keep your boarding pass in your hand at all times! Now, bear in mind, this was at Louisville airport, which is not exactly a major airport. Bloody Homeland Security! Sorry but they really need to chill out a bit, the visa thing is a joke to start off with, but this 'hightened' security, well, buddies, the terrorists have won, you're now totally paranoid, job done!