ESTA for the USA

[Perec]

Vipers said:

Perec said:

Just got back from Florida. We were cruising about in a (surprisingly good) Chrysler 300c. The hire company charged me 78p per litre for gas when I returned it. The Americans thought that was a rip-off.

The cars on the roads around Orlando were shocking though. The 300c was one of the nicest cars we saw and American car design has seriously lost the plot. It's amusing to see the names of some iconic cars on small jelly mould Jap clones. Chevy Impala anyone:

I have booked an Impala myself for my trip.

If I could have one like this, I'd hire one next time.

[Vipers]

Perec said:

If I could have one like this, I'd hire one next time.

I wish.

[Pulse]

Me and my OH are going to New York soon. Would it be better to apply as a 'group' or separately?

[Deva Link]

Pulse said:

Me and my OH are going to New York soon. Would it be better to apply as a 'group' or separately?

Each person's application is separate.

[Pulse]

Cheers. Just submitted me and the OH, but apparently they couldn't make an immediate decision, or something to that effect. Probably because I was born in Germany, but am a British Citizen.

[ViperDave]

Deva Link said:

Pulse said:

Me and my OH are going to New York soon. Would it be better to apply as a 'group' or separately?

Each person's application is separate.

That's not 100% correct, you can group the applications but it seems like this is more about the payment as much as anything as they are still assessed individually, just you only have to do the credit card once.

[Deva Link]

ViperDave said:

Deva Link said:

Pulse said:

Me and my OH are going to New York soon. Would it be better to apply as a 'group' or separately?

Each person's application is separate.

That's not 100% correct, you can group the applications but it seems like this is more about the payment as much as anything as they are still assessed individually, just you only have to do the credit card once.

Ah - thanks, didn't know that. Seems you can pay for up to 50 at once.

I haven't done one I needed to pay for yet - we got ours just before they introduced the charge and those expired late last year.

[saleen836]

Matt Harper said:

saleen836 said:

Have to agree, we did 1400 miles last September around California/Nevada in a 5.0 Mustang. When we returned home I worked out the fuel cost...£101 I can't even get anywhere near that in my Diesel van that returns 45-50mpg!

That looks something like 34mpg by my fag packet calculations - help me understand how you did that.
My wife drives our 5.0 Mustang from Orlando to Leesburg and back 4 days a week - all straight, flat highway 50 miles each way and she drives it gently - steady 75-80mph. Best she can manage is 25mpg. When I drive it, I average around 20mpg. So tell me, what are we doing wrong???

No idea, typical rental car with 6 speed auto box and having 3.31 rears gears which might have a lot to do with it.

[Vipers]

0.082 US gallons to 1 imperial.

[Deva Link]

swerni said:

Matt Harper said:

saleen836 said:

Have to agree, we did 1400 miles last September around California/Nevada in a 5.0 Mustang. When we returned home I worked out the fuel cost...£101 I can't even get anywhere near that in my Diesel van that returns 45-50mpg!

That looks something like 34mpg by my fag packet calculations - help me understand how you did that.
My wife drives our 5.0 Mustang from Orlando to Leesburg and back 4 days a week - all straight, flat highway 50 miles each way and she drives it gently - steady 75-80mph. Best she can manage is 25mpg. When I drive it, I average around 20mpg. So tell me, what are we doing wrong???

But you are clearly referring to the smaller and less perfectly formed US Gallon
To convert to real money you need to add 20%

No, he's calculating saleen836's MPG in US gallons and and comparing that to the MPG in US gallons he gets from his own Mustang.

[Matt Harper]

As DL states - I used the figures supplied by Saleen.
For reference, FoMoCo says 18mpg city, 25mpy highway and 21mpg combined (all US Galls) - so how anyone manages 30+ mpg combined is way beyond me.

[Deva Link]

swerni said:

I know, but Saleen wasn't , he was comparing it to his diesel van.
As a comparison the Stang manages 30 mpg against Saleens can which gets 45.

Saleen didn't mention MPG of the Mustang.

[Matt Harper]

Yeah but no but yeah. My claculations were based on 1400 miles covered on a hundred quids worth of fuel.
£100 = $150
US gallon of regular (should be premium) = $3.40

[Deva Link]

I gave up.

[Pulse]

Pulse said:

Cheers. Just submitted me and the OH, but apparently they couldn't make an immediate decision, or something to that effect. Probably because I was born in Germany, but am a British Citizen.

So... We've had nothing back, despite them saying we'd hear back within 72 hours. Is that normal?

[GCH]

Pulse said:

So... We've had nothing back, despite them saying we'd hear back within 72 hours. Is that normal?

You should be able to log in with the reference # it gave you when you applied and check the status. IIRC you don't even need the reference #- you can do it with passport number.

So glad I don't have to deal with this crap anymore!

[Vipers]

GCH said:

Pulse said:

So... We've had nothing back, despite them saying we'd hear back within 72 hours. Is that normal?

You should be able to log in with the reference # it gave you when you applied and check the status. IIRC you don't even need the reference #- you can do it with passport number.

So glad I don't have to deal with this crap anymore!

Had the same 72 hour wait, logged back in later, all sorted out.

[pc.iow]

What would be the implications of a 17ish year old drug possession (personal on a new year’s eve) charge still on record?

Should it be mentioned on the form or would that be the end of the trip?

How much checking is done?

If it was missed off the form, would I they be found out?

[GCH]

pc.iow said:

What would be the implications of a 17ish year old drug possession (personal on a new year’s eve) charge still on record?

Normally drug related offences would require a visa- with an additional waiver of ineligibility - which in the UK are currently taking something like 28 weeks to process. There is no guarantees the waiver/visa would be granted though (especially for a drugs related offence- although the chances are increased given the length of time since the offence), but if it is, it will probably be a single entry B2- so you will have to go through the whole process again every time you want to visit. There is no such thing as a spent conviction when it comes to US immigration law unfortunately

pc.iow said:

Should it be mentioned on the form or would that be the end of the trip?

Well the ESTA question is:
B) Have you ever been arrested or convicted for an offense or crime involving moral turpitude or a violation related to a controlled substance; or have been arrested or convicted for two or more offenses for which the aggregate sentence to confinement was five years or more; or have been a controlled substance trafficker; or are you seeking entry to engage in criminal or immoral activities?

However, there are all sorts of caveats and a few exceptions to the rule when you delve into the law http://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/SLB/HTML/SLB/0-..., which may mean you they aren't ineligible to enter under the VWP and would not require a visa. Were you they actually arrested? Charged? Cautioned? Sentenced? Were you they under 18 at the time of the offence? Any other offences?

pc.iow said:

How much checking is done?

Very little, if any. The onus is on the traveller to be honest and ensure they meet the requirements for travel.

pc.iow said:

If it was missed off the form, would I they be found out?

No. Unless asked by CBP at immigration and it was admitted by you the traveller, they are very unlikely to know about it, as they have no access to records.
Plenty of people have done it and still do it with no issues, which doesn't exactly make it right, but I can kind of see why some would choose to do so, given the monumental hassle it is to get a waiver of ineligibility and a B2 visa.

Edited by GCH on Friday 26th April 16:16

[Pulse]

So, it shows as 'approved'. Do I need to print some paperwork out, or is that it?