ESTA visa for US

Author
Discussion

m444ttb

Original Poster:

3,160 posts

228 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
My wife and I are going to Florida in March, which will be our second time in the US within two years. Looking on the ESTA site it seems that we paid for our visas for the last trip in September '13 and I think I've understood that they have a two year validity and we don't need to do anything (although I've updated our US contact address for the trip). Does that sound correct? Don't really want to be sent home when I arrive!

RammyMP

6,729 posts

152 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
Yes, it's 2 years or less if your passport expires. You can go on the web site and log in with your email address to check I think?

m444ttb

Original Poster:

3,160 posts

228 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
Thanks. Managed to pull up all our details. I can't temembernif we needed to print something off when we go, although I'd assume a scan of our passports will bring up that we have a valid visas.

GCH

3,984 posts

201 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
Valid for two years, nothing to update - unless you have changed passports since, in which case you need to reapply.
Nothing to print off - but making a note of the approval # may be prudent - their systems do go down from time to time and make errors

m444ttb

Original Poster:

3,160 posts

228 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
Cheers guys

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
I might appear a little pedantic, but it will cause confusion if you refer to your ESTA authorization as a visa. In reality it is the opposite. ESTA is the documentation for the visa waiver program. If you start talking 'visa' with US CBP, they will want to see your visa. Don't give CBP any excuse to give you a hard time.

Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
Matt Harper said:
... Don't give CBP any excuse to give you a hard time.
They love excuses to make you feel so smallllllllllll.

m444ttb

Original Poster:

3,160 posts

228 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
Last time the guy just took the piss out of me, which wasn't what I was expecting. It was the UK lot when we came back that were utterly joyless. Of course now I'll be proven wrong...

djc206

12,247 posts

124 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
In vegas they were quite jolly in Miami they were all aholes. I figured out why they ask whether you were a member of the nazi government of Germany, if you answer yes you get a badge, a buzzcut and a gun.