LG John

I was last in the US in 2008 under the Visa Waiver Scheme. Recently I've been reading about the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) and I can't determine whether this is mandatory? Does every UK citizen wishing to enter the US under the visa waiver scheme need this authorization? Has anyone been to the US in the last year without applying for this?

Jamie

Went err 2005 sorry can not help you.

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

It is mandatory, but only takes a few moments on-line, can't remember the website but it is a once only thing iirc

LG John

Are travel agents and airlines making people aware of this when they are looking for or booking flights??? I've not booked anything, but I only stumbled across this requirement by pure chance. I'd be fvcked if I had booked a last minute flight as I'd not have the required time for the ESTA.

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

Not sure, I went on business and the corporate travel office let me know, as did the team in the US

Nimbus

went just over a year ago. Took about 10 mins to fill out the on line form. Go approval back straightaway. No problems

LG John

As in instantly Nimbus? If so, what's the fecking point of it? Surely they can't check anything about you instantly?

wayne9t9

Just don`t tell them you`ve been involved in a crime involving moral turpitude

LG John

But I held up a jewelers in Corstorphine with a replica?

Seriously though, I was considering a last minute surprise visit to NY with the wife when I stumbled across this requirement. As neither of us have completed this electronic form before I'd have been potentially buggered if I paid for a flight and didn't get authorization in time (says you need up to 72h).

That's not a problem if Nimbus is correct that approval is usually instant.....but that makes me question wtf is the point of the thing? Surely the idea is that the US have 72h to dig around and weed out terrorists, pedo's, murders, etc?

FlightMan

ESTA is compulsory now. And you wil need to complete the green IW-94 forms as well.

ChrisB

I went to Boston last November. Did the ETSA online, both me and the misses got instant approval.

Booked our flights with KLM through Expedia and got directed to the ETSA website from the booking confirmation IIRC.

Markus

the ETSA is required if entering the US by air or water, and you can obtain it via the official site online, and it is free, so any site claiming a fee will be a scam.

If entering the US by land it is not required, and I've had three friends enter the US this morning and they didn't need ETSA so this does still stand, but it might change at some point.

As said the green form is still needed as well, plus if entering by land you will be charged $6 for something or other, and it MUST be paid in US dollars.

It does make you wonder if they actually want others to enter their country with all the rigmarole you need to go through to get in there.

LG John

It seems it is valid for 2 years at a time. Does that mean I can apply and - if approved - I can then book last minutes deals any time in that 2 years?

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

Yes

LG John

I think America would be over the moon if the entire world just left them to it and didn't enter. Their tourism industry might disagree of course! When I was there in 2008 they didn't muck around....dead pan serious!

Markus

They have been like that since I started going there around 2002. No sense of humor at all, and seem to have a real god like complex. They want to know exactly why they should let you enter their country, the best in the world, and you should feel blessed they are considering allowing you to enter their country.

God forbid that you actually enter the country on business. My word do they really not like that. They really do see it as stealing money from them if you will be paid by a client as they'll not get the tax dollars. A very **** place indeed.

My previous boss was one to speak his mind and had many a chat in their offices when he questioned their superiority over everyone, not a wise move really.

My most memorable crossing was going to a potential client to give a pre-sales demo of our software. The border guard checked things over, including the letter from my company saying where I was going, how long for (only a day), what I was doing, plus a letter from the potential client saying the same thing. The guard then said that next time I should also consider bringing an invoice from the client with me. Umm, ok, how does one present an invoice from a potential client? I kept my mouth shut though and laughed about it later.

I must say though, I have met a few guards who did not seem to have had their sense of humor removed via their rectum, and were very pleasant, but they have been very few and far between.

DisoDisp

iTrader: (1)

Don't know about the ETSA, as I havent been in eons, and this is slightly OT, but I have to agree with Markus.

I've been a few times on business, and its always a struggle, once I was going from Dubai to Argentina with a stop over in Miami, my flight from Dubai was running seriously late and I was already in a bit of a mood, the customs officer started going through my passport and seemed to grow scared when flicking through it, and the inevitable questions started:

"Sir, why have you been to EYERAK!?"
-Work.
"What kind of "Work"?"
-Boring
"Sir, please answer the question"
-Boring, Mining, Drilling...
"Are you trying to be funny, Sir?"
-No, You asked me what I was doing in Iraq, I told you.
"Sir, I also see you have been to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Oman, what have you done there"
-Work.
"Sir, please answer the question"

At this point I was more than slightly peeved:

-I was training the goddamned Taleban!
"Sir, stay right there"

At which point he mutters something into his walkie talkie, and a group of customs officials turn up demanding me to go into the back, where they "interrogate" me for the next 3 and a half hours, before finally allowing me to enter their precious country.

After that, I got a duplicate passport that I keep solely for going to America with, and has no marks of ever having been to the Middle East.

Snazy

Yup ESTA was in force last year, it gives them advanced notice of your arrival, so should you be flagged they will have looked into you. Its making a declaration more than anything else and at some point will replace the green card, but for now they use both.

I have flown to Florida for 3 of the 5 years on a passport with middle east stamps in it with no issue, or even mention.

Missus got taken away to immigration last year, apparently over an issue with her passport being flagged stolen, but there was no real drama, a few questions and off she went.

Takes a few mins if you have all your details to hand
http://www.esta.co.uk/

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

What is so wrong about a nation wanting to know exactly why you want to enter their country? What is so wrong about them checking exactly what business you have in their country? Pity we aren't a little bit more stringent here in the UK.

The same system has been in place in Australia for far longer and it works and isn't exactly a hassle so what is the problem?

Markus

There is wanting to know what you are doing, and then there is being **** and rude when you do tell them exactly what you are doing, provide detailed proof of what you are doing, and still they question your motives for wanting to enter their oh-so-great country.

I have no problems with a country wishing to protect it's borders, however, being rude or trying to obstruct those wishing to enter isn't really on.

I have friends who have gone and done the Orlando thing and they have said the only downside to the whole trip was the actual immigration experience as they really did feel like they should be honoured to be allowed entry to the US.

In comparison I've entered Canada on numerous occasions, both business and pleasure and have not been treated in the same manner. A few times I even shared a laugh with the immigration official, and it was they who initiated the jovial comments.

My wife flew back to the UK with me and again didn't have any problems entering the UK, no severe grilling in what she was doing and why. Just a few, quick simple questions, asked in a pleasant manner, from someone who didn't look like a jumped up traffic warden.

To digress a little, if you think getting in is bad, try wanting to transfer employee's from another country to your US company in an effort to grow the business and then employ lot of US citizens. We were told that key staff (CEO, tech team members - myself included) were not core to the companies operation in the USA. Hmm, find me a US citizen who has the 10 years of product knowledge I do, can't find one? what a shocker!

Oh and don't get me started on the complete rigmarole trying to get a visa is, and how they ask for insane levels of detail, and when you finally submit an application you are told this years quota of visas has been used up, sorry, try again next year.

Anti-US? Oh, perhaps just a tiny bit. I'm not as well traveled as some on here, so I'm sure they could no doubt tell me of other seriously **** countries, then again, perhaps it's just the US that is this way, which would figure as they are rather xenophobic.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Well you have had a different experience to me then. I have been in and out about 9 times in the last 5 years and while they aren't exactly ever going to win an audition for the Chuckle Brothers I would say that the immigration are fairly polite and get their job done efficiently.

My business partner got a visa fairly easily. Followed the procedures and had to wait a while, but got one in the end without too much hassle.

Methinks you are just a little more than a tiny bit anti-US and you know what, you could avoid all those hassles you seem to have with US immigration by just not going there.

Leslie

They are not allowed to actually think or use any kind of common sense. All done by numbers!

Les

ScoobyWeb

When I click on the above link it takes me to a page which says that the website has been reported as a fake

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

This is the official site:

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov

wayne9t9

Thanks Markus for post #20. My thoughts exactly. I`ve traveled in and out a lot over the last 10 years and am now a permanent resident and I still get the "attitude"

Snazy

Doh sorry mate, should have just sent you the link from my bookmarks.