Visa for USA

[GallardoOwner]

Hi can I get some advise on travel to usa, myself and my wife need to go to miami for a few days, we have never been to US before, Whats the best way to get a visa and how long should it take, we are in london on monday if that helps in going to embassey or something, doing a search seems to find all paid sites that will help for a price

[MentalSarcasm]

If you've got UK Passports then you don't need a visa, you need an ESTA, get it through the Post Office website, whole thing is automatic (you need your passports and your flight details) and costs around £12, lasts for 2 years IIRC.

Edit; More info here - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/esta-usa-v...
Website to apply for an ESTA is here - https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html

[Robin Hood]

Do it yourself online:

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

[Crafty_]

As above, no visa needed provided you are not working and stay less than 90 days. ESTA lasts for 2 years.
You can apply for one online here: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

You must apply for the ESTA at least 3 days before travelling, if you apply online you get an email to say its been approved, usually pretty quickly.

I'd suggest sorting the ESTA out ASAP.

[Truckosaurus]

Crafty_ said:

... if you apply online you get an email to say its been approved, usually pretty quickly...

The official ESTA site doesn't do email confirmations, you'll just get a reference number (if successful) that you need to make a note of.

[durbster]

Yep, do it online. The wife and I applied online last year and were both approved within about 20 minutes. Quite amazing really

Granted if you have a beard or one of them foreign sounding names, it might take longer.

[jmorgan]

Yep, online. Warned off the sites that will rip you off for 40 or 50 notes when they appear to be legit.

[craigjm]

Stating that you don't need a visa is quite misleading. It is correct that you can stay for up to 90 days with ESTA but....

Read the small print carefully. If you have ever been in trouble with the police for instance (even just been arrested on suspicion of something but never charged) you are excluded and you DO need a visa. There are quite a few exclusions too so look carefully and don't try to ignore it and blah your way in. You will get turned around and sent straight home.

[GCH]

craigjm said:

Read the small print carefully. If you have ever been in trouble with the police for instance (even just been arrested on suspicion of something but never charged) you are excluded and you DO need a visa. There are quite a few exclusions too so look carefully and don't try to ignore it and blah your way in. You will get turned around and sent straight home.

Not true.

An arrest with no charge, or an arrest with charges but no conviction is 100% ok for VWP travel.
Even if you have been arrested and convicted, you can still be eligible to use the VWP - depending on the offence- and therefore not have to get a visa. It is all to do with the definition of moral turpitude, and the fact that there is an exception made for a single offence/minor offence.


INA 212 is the law with regards to this- not the misleading info on certain embassies websites.

Edited by GCH on Sunday 4th August 17:07

[ViperDave]

GCH said:

craigjm said:

Read the small print carefully. If you have ever been in trouble with the police for instance (even just been arrested on suspicion of something but never charged) you are excluded and you DO need a visa. There are quite a few exclusions too so look carefully and don't try to ignore it and blah your way in. You will get turned around and sent straight home.

Utter crap.
Even if you have been arrested and convicted, you can still be eligible to use the VWP and- depending on the offence- do not have to get a visa. It is all to do with the definition of moral turpitude, and the fact that there is an exception made for a single offence/minor offences.

INA 212 is the law with regards to this and is very clear.

But to be fair if you think there may possibly be a need to answer yes to any of the ESTA questions then its time to take proper advice and possibly just get a visa rather than turn up at a CBP desk and risk being on the next flight home having made your own judgement on what constitutes "moral turpitude". End of the day ESTA is just an authorization to travel, not a guarantee of entry, that is still at the discretion of the CBP agent on arrival.

[craigjm]

ViperDave said:

But to be fair if you think there may possibly be a need to answer yes to any of the ESTA questions then its time to take proper advice and possibly just get a visa rather than turn up at a CBP desk and risk being on the next flight home having made your own judgement on what constitutes "moral turpitude". End of the day ESTA is just an authorization to travel, not a guarantee of entry, that is still at the discretion of the CBP agent on arrival.

Exactly. The whole issue is a minefield if you have even the slightest issue in your past

[GCH]

ViperDave said:

But to be fair if you think there may possibly be a need to answer yes to any of the ESTA questions then its time to take proper advice and possibly just get a visa rather than turn up at a CBP desk and risk being on the next flight home having made your own judgement on what constitutes "moral turpitude". End of the day ESTA is just an authorization to travel, not a guarantee of entry, that is still at the discretion of the CBP agent on arrival.

Absolutely. Better to be careful than risk screwing up a trip.
But my point still stands- even the london embassy website states in places the misleading rubbish about any arrest needing a visa, which just isn't true based on the law, and echoed by my own personal experience.

The exact esta question is " 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? " so even that does not back up what was posted and i was replying to.


(you quoted me while i was editing my post btw

[ViperDave]

The list of crimes involving "moral turpitude" is much longer than the ones that don't!

https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/86942...