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MSE News: ESTA applications to cost $14 from 8 September
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Former_MSE_Natasha
Posts: 672 Forumite
This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:
"The US government will charge $14 (£9) to get an electronic 'visa' from 8 September to travel to the States...."
"The US government will charge $14 (£9) to get an electronic 'visa' from 8 September to travel to the States...."
Read the full story:
ESTA applications to cost $14 from 8 September
ESTA applications to cost $14 from 8 September
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Comments
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Unfortunately the fee won't just be $14 as I suspect the only way to pay it will be by credit card which then allows the credit card provider to levy their charge usually 2-3% whilst applying a poor exchange rate. The credit card companies will be rubbing their hands yet againNO FARMS = NO FOOD0
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or you can use a credit card that doesn't levy such fees.
And don't all credit cards give the interbank rate? I didn't think that any gave poor exchange rates, just charged silly fees.Does remembering a time that a certain degree of personal responsibility was more or less standard means that I am officially old?0 -
they don't have to apply the interbank rate- it's for guidance. At least according to Tesco Personal Finance when I queried a rate earlier in the year. The interbank rate was almost 5 US cents better than the rate applied which made quite a difference.
There are also very few CC companies now who don't levy fees on foreign transactions and I would imagine very shortly there won't be any.NO FARMS = NO FOOD0 -
I applied for this when I flew to Texas with my family last April. The staff on the plane (KLM) had never heard of it (even though it was compulsory) and had no idea if I still had to fill in an I-94 form on the plane. Most of the staff at immigration hadn't heard of it either but were pretty sure we'd have to fill in an I-94 (ESTA is supposed to have replaced the I-94).
When we finally got to the immigration desk the lady at the desk gave us the ESTA I'd printed out off the web back without even looking at it and proudly told me it was valid for another 2 years.
What a total waste of time applying online was, and now they want me to pay for this?0 -
Fees to enter a country are what you'd expect from some Third World country0
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Yeah fine, if ESTA replaces the I-94 but it doesn't; it replicates it. The big difference is that should you DARE to make a mistake on the green form, you'll be sent to the back of a three hour queue at JFK to complete a new one. The US immigration people also demand a number of the street on which your hotel is placed. Last trip, all I had was a street/avenue address - West 55th at 7th. Not good enough.
So I told them 'a million'. That seems good enough. As long as they have a number, they're OK.
Land Of The Free; bring it on!0 -
inicholson wrote: »I applied for this when I flew to Texas with my family last April. The staff on the plane (KLM) had never heard of it (even though it was compulsory) and had no idea if I still had to fill in an I-94 form on the plane. Most of the staff at immigration hadn't heard of it either but were pretty sure we'd have to fill in an I-94 (ESTA is supposed to have replaced the I-94).
When we finally got to the immigration desk the lady at the desk gave us the ESTA I'd printed out off the web back without even looking at it and proudly told me it was valid for another 2 years.
What a total waste of time applying online was, and now they want me to pay for this?
You don't need a hard copy as it's an electronic document. Believe me, if you hadn't had an ESTA, which they can see on their computer screens, you wouldn't have been able to enter the country.
As it stands, you won't even be allowed to board the flight as they can see at check in if you have an ESTA or not.0 -
hey I have a work visa and still have to go through all this, despite it costing a small fortune and them having a mass of my biometric data. Why? cos they can.0
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Yeah fine, if ESTA replaces the I-94 but it doesn't; it replicates it.
The I-94 is being phased out...at many airports you do not need to fill it in anymore.
Also agree with luci that applying for an ESTA isn't a 'waste of time' as without it you're not getting on the plane! Even if you don't need to produce an actual hard copy of something doesn't mean it's not important. Does remembering a time that a certain degree of personal responsibility was more or less standard means that I am officially old?0 -
So hopefully our "Government" will reciprocate?? ie make Yanks coming here go thru' the same meaningless rigamarole?
And pigs might fly!! Once again, we are being c*****ed upon by "Uncle" Sam !:mad:0
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