Has anyone on here ever applied for a VISA to visit the USA?

Just wondered how long it usually takes and any advice on how it all works.

 

Unless you're going for more than 90 days you don't need one. You fill out a Visa Waiver card on the flight over and they'll stamp you in for a 90 day stay at immigration.

 

How long are you visiting for?

Thought that for shortish Holiday type stays you just filled in a form on the plane.

 

If you've got a criminal record you need one

;

 

my mum and sister went recently

they didn't need a visa because they got new style passports which are electronically readable or something, so as far as I can make out, if your passport is fairly new and you're only going for a short time, you don't need a visa, might be worth just getting a new passport because you get years of use once you do anyway, and I can't imagine it taking that much longer than processing a visa.

 

Have you got form then?

I only ask because I had a panic last year. Was taking the family to Flordia, and then heard from someone you need a Visa if you have any sort of police record. I had a caution, which they classify as a police record.

Mine was old (90s) so it was border-line as to whether it was on record. I didn't apply for a Visa, just got on the plane and crossed my fingers. Everything was fine, but it was a nervous flight.

If you have got form, you may be OK as long as it isn't drugs. From what I've read they take a very dim view of even very minor drugs charges (cautions), more so than something which I would classify as pretty nasty like a conviction for GBH - but then people say all kinds of **** on internet message boards so don't take that as gospel.

 

As already stated, if you are just going for a holiday and staying less than 3 months you don't need a visa providing you have a machine readable passport (I think that covers any issued in the last 5 years or so), you'll get a Visa Waiver form on the plane, fill that in - double and treble check what you put as well and if you make any mistakes ask the flight attendant for another....as they are **** hot on them and if there is anything wrong with your form they'll make you go back to the lengthy queue at immigration.

Check here
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front...7029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618385531


When and where are you going?

 

Basically about 7 years ago I was arrested for suspicion of criminal damage.

I went shopping in Leeds and on returning to my car I was arrested.. Thought it was some sort of wind up.
Officer said they had a witness of me driving through the car park barrier ( to get in!!! )

I was questioned and once they questioned the witness, they said they didn't see me hit the barrier.

No charges were made and that was that...

Even the officer couldn't quite understand why I would run the barrier through and then go get a ticket for £1.00 risking damage to my car!!!!

I will be very annoyed should I be excluded from the Visa waiver programme.

It all boils down to 'moral turpitude' as far as I can see. Any legal buffs on here.

 

I guess your best bet is to contact the US embassy and ask them then....rather than go with any advice on here.

Though if you weren't charged then I'd think you'd be fine

 

Hold on, I remeber now

I didn't just get on the plane and hope. You write to the poilce under the Data Protection Act to find out what records they hold about you. By law they have to release anything on that they have on file, if it's not on file ... US immigration couldn't know it happened ... so there is no requirement to apply for a Visa.

I was still a bit concerned, which is why I remebered it as I got on the plane and crossed my fingers. I wrote and checked out whether they had anything on file. It cost me £10 and I had to wait a month or so. When they wrote back and said there was nothing on record so I didn't apply for a Visa. Even though I was pretty sure I was OK I was still quite twitchy until I got through immigration and was praying everything was OK ... which of course it was.

Here is a link - it's the US embassy and tells you that if you apply for a visa the records you need to take to the appointment

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/iv/ds2001.html#pc

As you will see YOU need to have written to the police and have the paperwork from the police when you apply for a Visa. So before you contact the embassy, get the information you'd need anyway from the police and that will tell you whether a visa apllication is necessary - if it says no records exist, you don't need to apply for a Visa.

My caution was from the Met so I wrote to them but you'd write to the local police force.

 

I did.

But I was turned down, because I'm not an absolute lovely person. Y'all.

 

Thanks for the info everyone. nt