Documents needed

[babyshambles]

To go in the USA, a valid passport is enough?

[oliver]

So long as it's a 10 year, full english passport, you don't need a visa :)

[windymiller]

what about irish?

[babyshambles]

cool, sounds easy....

just to remember to don't shout "I've got a bomb" when I am landing! :D

[Unregistered]

Irish passports, no problem, same as UK for US travel, but you must not be a terrorist, have any criminal past or pick your nose!
Just be prepared to be taken apart leaving the US, everytime I travel on my Irish passport, they pull me aside and go through me as if I was a convicted criminal, with terrorist emblazoned across my forhead, I am fed up with it and plan to take less if any holidays in the US. I dont need to be treated like a criminal. If I was one, I could understand, but its every time.

[Unregistered]

I think everyone has to be prepared to be screened properly before entry to any country . It is a pity the UK is not as thorough as the USA! I have been entering the USA - through Florida usually - for 24 years now and I have never had any hassle even although I have lived in the Middle East for the last 6 years and have Arabic attachments all over my passport.
Of course, your passport has to be a machine readable passport - if it is not, you have until October 2004 to get a new one - either that or you have to get a visa for future USA travel.

[Unregistered]

hi with all these changes in law ,i have read you need to disclose previos convictions to get visa to be allowed in usa, if you are middle age and have committed offence when a child do you need to still apply for visa, im a bit confused by this please let me know, the offences were petty

[Unregistered]

If you have ever been arrested/convicted of an offence you will have to apply in person to
US embassy.
If not, 10 year passports are ok.
If passport is issued after 26.10.04 also have to apply for Visa in peson & can take months to get.

Now finger printing & iris recognition.
It didnt take us long to do, only as long as usual.

Hope this helps
Caron

[Unregistered]

hi how do you apply and how long does it take,if a person does not disclose what happens,my uncle is going to states soon he is 57 years old and cannot even remember the offences he did when a child as it is not on record

[Unregistered]

Travelling To Florida Next June Have To Get Kids Own Passports As On Mine Told By Uk Passport Office And Us Embassy No Visa Needed If New Style (small Red Ones) Passports

[Unregistered]

i;m travellin to Orlando in July 2005, do i need a visa i'm flyin from Scotland?

[Unregistered]

i phoned the travel agents they said i dont need a visa as long as i'm not stayin for more than 28 day

[Mr Orlando]

i phoned the travel agents they said i dont need a visa as long as i'm not stayin for more than 28 day

Taken form the Foreign & Commomwelth Web site http://www.fco.gov.uk



ENTRY REQUIREMENTS


Visa Waiver Programme

Most British Citizen passport holders do not need a visa to visit the US on business, pleasure or in transit if they intend to stay in the US for less than 90 days and as long as they have a Machine Readable Passport. This is called the Visa Waiver Programme, and more information on this is available on the US Embassy website (details at the end of this section). If you are unsure whether you are eligible to travel to the USA without a visa, the following Questions and Answers may be helpful.


Why might I need a visa?

There are reasons why a British traveller will need a visa. These include one or more of the following: (If you think that your situation falls into any of the following categories, you should consult the US Embassy about whether you need to apply for a visa – you must do this well in advance of any plans to travel to the US.)

The personal information page of your passport does not describe you as a "British Citizen", but instead says "British Subject", "British National (Overseas)", "British Overseas Territories Citizen", "British Dependent Territories Citizen", "British Protected Person" or "British Overseas Citizen"
You intend to stay longer than 90 days
You have a passport that is not machine readable
You intend to travel to the US for a reason other than business, pleasure or transit
You have been arrested, even if not convicted
You have a criminal record
You have a serious, communicable disease (including HIV)
You are HIV Positive
You have been refused entry to the US on a previous occasion
You have been deported from the US
You have previously overstayed the 90 days permitted under the Visa Waiver Programme (ie travel without a visa)
You are a child included on your parent's passport

In all of these cases, you need to apply for a visa, or seek further information from the US Embassy Visa Information Service09055 444546 – calls are charged at £1.30 a minute) or www.usembassy.org.uk.

The US Government has legislated that anyone travelling to the US under the Visa Waiver Programme with a passport issued on or after 26 October 2005, will have to have a biometric passport in order to travel visa free. Biometric passports will contain data about the holder’s face, and may also contain other unique personal information such as fingerprints and iris details. The UK is working on its programme to introduce biometric passports, but it will not be fully ready in time for the 26 October 2005 deadline. British Citizens who would normally travel under the VWP may therefore require a visa, which will include biometric data, to enter the US on or after 26 October 2005.

[Unregistered]

When applying for a visa you bve required to go throught a process of enforced subject access requiring you to disclose all criminal convictions past and present that are held on PNC. If your minor conviction has weeded under the current ACPO weeding rules then you should be ok.

[Unregistered]

My wife myslef and my 2 year old are planning a 6 month break in florida and possibley other parts of usa.

We all have british passports so do we need to apply for a longer hoilday visit visa? and if so where and how do we apply?

can we go to usa and then after 90 days apply for a visa whilst in Florida?

[Mr Orlando]

do we need to apply for a longer hoilday visit visa? and if so where and how do we apply?



You will need to apply for a visa BEFORE you enter the United States, and costs about £67 each. This has to be done in person at the American Embassy in London.

The visa waiver program only covers trips upto 90 days.

More information can be obtained from the following web sites


http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618385531

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/ http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/visa/visaindex.htm


Apply Now Dont Delay

Here is a quote from The US Embassy website


Typical Wait Time (Calendar Days*) for a Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Appointment

Visitors Visas: 17 Days

Typical Wait Time (Workdays**) for a Nonimmigrant Visa To Be Processed***: 3 Days

*Calendar days refer to every day of the week, including days when embassies are closed (such as weekends and holidays).
**Work days refer only to days when the embassy is open and does not include weekends and holidays.
***IMPORTANT NOTE: Processing wait time DOES NOT include the time required for additional special clearance or administrative processing. These procedures require additional time. Most special clearances are resolved within 30 days of application. When additional administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on individual circumstances of each case.

[Unregistered]

what does machine readable passport mean? i'm goin to florida this july with my sister. she is 16 and we sent away for her passport last week. i have a 10 yr passport. should this be ok? travel agents didnt tell us anything about it

[Unregistered]

It,s the red ones that have been out for a while.The new one you will be getting is also a red ons.

[Unregistered]

what does machine readable passport mean? i'm goin to florida this july with my sister. she is 16 and we sent away for her passport last week. i have a 10 yr passport. should this be ok? travel agents didnt tell us anything about it
the new passports have bar codes on which means at the bottom of the passport there are two continuos lines

[Unregistered]

So long as it's a 10 year, full english passport, you don't need a visa :)

Must mean full British Passport - Scotland, Wales, Ireland beware!! All must need English Passport from now on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[narjay]

Me and my boyfriend will be travelling to Los Angeles soon, but have not bought our flight tickets yet. Any one know if it is possible for us to only purchase a one way ticket from the UK to LA (instead of return tickets, as we want to travel somewhere else once our 90 days are up, (maybe to Guatemala) but havent actually decided where we will go. I didnt want to purchase a one way ticket, get to the Airport and they tell us to leave as we have No proof of leaving the country, once the visa waiver is up!! please respond if you know!!! :confused:

[danny68]

I'm sure you need either a return or onward ticket when entering the US

[squidge]

Me and my boyfriend will be travelling to Los Angeles soon, but have not bought our flight tickets yet. Any one know if it is possible for us to only purchase a one way ticket from the UK to LA (instead of return tickets, as we want to travel somewhere else once our 90 days are up, (maybe to Guatemala) but havent actually decided where we will go. I didnt want to purchase a one way ticket, get to the Airport and they tell us to leave as we have No proof of leaving the country, once the visa waiver is up!! please respond if you know!!! :confused:

I know you need to have return tickets to be able to travel under the visa waiver. I know this as I was pulled by security & homeland security on my trip in september 05. we had to come home early due to a death in orlando of a family member & the travel insurance paid for a single ticket to get us back home early. as we had single tickets on our flight hoome & they wasnt gonna let me travel coz i had the green visa waiver thing in our passports & only had a single ticket. The only way i go round it was to show them the return portion of the tickets we had originally purchased.

So unless you have tickets home before you travel you will not be able to get in to the USA under the visa waiver, you will need a visa. Hope this helps

[Veronica]

Hi, sorry I don't know about getting into the USA with a one way ticket. I do know, however, that a few years ago when I wanted to do it in reverse i.e. buy a one way ticket from the USA back to England it actually worked out cheaper to buy a return. I don't really know the reason for this. So get a few quotes for both.

[Mr Orlando]

I think Danny is correct ... you will need a return/onward ticket - be gain entry under the Visa Waiver scheme.

If you go and get a visa - then thing may differ

[squidge]

Yes you will need a return ticket to gain entry to the USA under the visa waiver scheme. I know this as i had problems with a single ticket as i explained in a earlier post.

They are really strict with the visa waiver & at immigration & can be really a pain in the **** sometimes. Although i have only had problems in denver, not in orlando, until the single ticket issue last year.