USA Visa?

Author
Discussion

Davel

Original Poster:

8,982 posts

257 months

Sunday 12th June 2022
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Adopted at 10 days and now 67, after doing an Ancestry test, I suddenly find out my real Dad was American and served in the USAF for 21 years. He was stationed over here in the mid-fifties.

Sadly he died three years ago and never knew about me but I have a younger half-sister and uncles, aunties and cousins out there.

So how easy is it to get a visa to visit these days for say two or three weeks or is there some other option like maybe dual nationality.

Doubt I’ll be going over there very much but would really like to visit.

They’re mostly in the South Bend area so any advice welcome.

Vipers

32,796 posts

227 months

Sunday 12th June 2022
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If you get a visa be careful I think they’re still free but some unscrupulous outlets will charge you to get one.

Make sure you use the USN embassy web site. Where is South bend out of interest, seem to recall a North Bend in W.A.

Davel

Original Poster:

8,982 posts

257 months

Sunday 12th June 2022
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Indiana apparently.

I really know nothing about the place but could be close to Route 66

Trev450

6,314 posts

171 months

Sunday 12th June 2022
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The ESTA is valid for 3 months and as a British citizen you automatically qualify to apply for one.

Davel

Original Poster:

8,982 posts

257 months

Sunday 12th June 2022
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Thank you for that.

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Sunday 12th June 2022
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Unless you have a dodgy past, you do not need a visa to visit the USA, for up to 90 days per visit.

Demonstrating US citizenship without a solid paper-trail will be a bit of a challenge. Ancestry.com and similar will not be sufficient in isolation, I suspect.

South Bend is in the very north of Indiana - closest major city is Chicago IL. It isn't a particularly nice city - though is famous for its college - University of Notre Dame - The Fighting Irish of college football and baseball.

Davel

Original Poster:

8,982 posts

257 months

Monday 13th June 2022
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Thanks for that.

I’ll look into it more now.

She's in Fort Wayne not South Bend sorry...

Edited by Davel on Monday 13th June 14:42

unrepentant

21,212 posts

255 months

Saturday 9th July 2022
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Davel said:
Thanks for that.

I’ll look into it more now.

She's in Fort Wayne not South Bend sorry...
As Matt said you won't need a Visa to visit for a few weeks. Fort Wayne is about 110 miles north east of Indianapolis and about 160 miles south east of Chicago. It's a normal US town. You can fly into Indy (no direct flights from the UK unfortunately) or into Chicago or Detroit and rent a car.

Petrus1983

8,516 posts

161 months

Saturday 9th July 2022
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The ESTA gives 90 days which is more than enough for most -
or are you considering buying somewhere and spending more time? I have a visa that I believe gives me 6 months a year - which is 5 more than I usually need. Cool find on ancestry - but if you don’t have a mad desire to be in the States - enjoy the access you already have.

Eta - sorry Davel - my post is insensitive, a find like that after a lifetime isn’t just ‘cool’ but must open many questions. My grandfather was a Dr Banardos kid and he passed “knowing” who his father must be. Last week my dad found out that he was way off the mark and in a weird Gotham style event (he wasn’t the famous Bruce Wayne) his true father was very different indeed.

Edited by Petrus1983 on Saturday 9th July 21:59

Davel

Original Poster:

8,982 posts

257 months

Saturday 19th November 2022
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Sorry for the very late reply.

Not insensitive at all and thanks for your comment. I've found out much more about both my Mother and Father - Davina could make a series about it all.

I've also found a half brother in Aylsbury, a half sister in London and a half sister in Pwhelli on my Mother's side.

ESTA approved and hope to visit the USA late April.

A mate has suggested coming too and that we do Route 66 or something on a couple of bikes, after spending a while with my new family who have all been very welcoming, especially as they didn't even know I existed.

Not planning to buy anything as my wife doesn't want to come out there but I'll see how the visit goes..

I wonder if I could claim dual nationality?

Anyway, pretty excited now to visit and meet new family

Still stunned really but keen to travel

Edited by Davel on Saturday 19th November 18:05

Petrus1983

8,516 posts

161 months

Saturday 19th November 2022
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Doing a trip out there sounds great - and seems like you’ve already had an exciting journey.

Re dual nationality - I’m not fully familiar with it fully but I wouldn’t jump too quickly before finding out all the implications.

https://www.greenbacktaxservices.com/blog/irs-taxa...

RDMcG

19,093 posts

206 months

Saturday 19th November 2022
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Davel said:
Indiana apparently.

I really know nothing about the place but could be close to Route 66
South Bend was where the Studebakers were built. Indiana had quite a large number of auto manufacturers in the early days. Route 66 does not run through Indiana...goes Illinois-Missouri-Kansas-Oklahoma-Texas-New Mexico-Arizona-Californai.

Davel

Original Poster:

8,982 posts

257 months

Saturday 19th November 2022
quotequote all
Petrus1983 said:
Doing a trip out there sounds great - and seems like you’ve already had an exciting journey.

Re dual nationality - I’m not fully familiar with it fully but I wouldn’t jump too quickly before finding out all the implications.

https://www.greenbacktaxservices.com/blog/irs-taxa...
Perhaps not then....

Saleen836

11,061 posts

208 months

Saturday 19th November 2022
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I could be wrong but as you were adopted by (I assume UK parents) does that not cancel any rights to claiming DN?
In a similar way that if your birth parents are rich and give you up for adoption,once adopted you have no legal claim on any of their estate


Or am I talking nonsense?

Davel

Original Poster:

8,982 posts

257 months

Saturday 19th November 2022
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Haven't really thought about DN and not giving it serious consideration.

At 68, it's a bit late in life really

tdm34

7,365 posts

209 months

Saturday 19th November 2022
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Trev450 said:
The ESTA is valid for 3 months and as a British citizen you automatically qualify to apply for one.
ESTA is valid for two Years, but you can only visit for six months out of every twelve.

NNH

1,515 posts

131 months

Sunday 20th November 2022
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Davel said:
Haven't really thought about DN and not giving it serious consideration.

At 68, it's a bit late in life really
I'm a dual national. While living in the UK, I had to show the IRS each year that I'd paid more in UK tax than I would have owed in the USA, which wasn't too tricky or time-consuming. If you're ever looking at the possibility, feel free to send a PM.

As for a Route 66 trip, it's much less interesting than it sounds until you're pretty close to the West Coast. In your shoes, I'd do a loop of either Lake Michigan or Lake Erie instead. I use riders-share.com and I was planning to rent this bike this summer for a Great Lakes till a family illness forced me to cancel.


Trev450

6,314 posts

171 months

Sunday 20th November 2022
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tdm34 said:
Trev450 said:
The ESTA is valid for 3 months and as a British citizen you automatically qualify to apply for one.
ESTA is valid for two Years, but you can only visit for six months out of every twelve.
Perhaps I should have been clearer. I was alluding to the fact that the maximum length of any stay on an ESTA is 3 months.

Davel

Original Poster:

8,982 posts

257 months

Sunday 20th November 2022
quotequote all
The Roadglide hire is a great idea as I’ve got one at home.

I’m only going for two or three weeks so time limit won’t be an issue.

Yes adopting parents were both English and have records of all of the tax that’s I’ve paid over the years.

Edited by Davel on Sunday 20th November 14:18

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Monday 21st November 2022
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tdm34 said:
Trev450 said:
The ESTA is valid for 3 months and as a British citizen you automatically qualify to apply for one.
ESTA is valid for two Years, but you can only visit for six months out of every twelve.
I think you may be confusing Visa Waiver Program (for which ESTA is the application) with a B2 visitor visa.