Visa or not?

hammy_the_hammer

Cardew wrote:

Jenny,
Your son really needs to get one thing absolutely clear.

He is absolutely entitled to use the Visa Waiver Program!

There is a impression gained from the last few posts that he is somehow doing something wrong and having to 'hide' his offences from the Embassy and US Immigration. He is not doing anything wrong.

He puts 'No' on the I-94W and he shouldn't ask US Immigration anything. The only danger is if he raises anything with the Immigration officer they may think he is hiding a more serious offence; that might mean additional questioning but will only mean a delay - nothing else.

cardew i'm not sure if you are referring to me ? my post especially the one about convincing him of not looking guilty ( much like going red when you see a customs officer.. even though you haven't brought anything back with you) is to make sure he doesn't get a bad time at immigration. if he started elaborating on questioning about not stopping when requested by the police and the police having to come round to the house etc could i'd guess result in a possible real hard time.

Cardew

hammy_the_hammer wrote:

cardew i'm not sure if you are referring to me ? my post especially the one about convincing him of not looking guilty ( much like going red when you see a customs officer.. even though you haven't brought anything back with you) is to make sure he doesn't get a bad time at immigration. if he started elaborating on questioning about not stopping when requested by the police and the police having to come round to the house etc could i'd guess result in a possible real hard time.

HTH,
No, I was actually reinforcing that point about not needing to look or feel guilty because he is in the clear and is not doing anything wrong.

I was referring to the implication that there could be a problem if the Embassy had his name that had crept into the last couple of posts.

The thing that amuses me about discussions on this subject is that we British speak a very similar language to Americans!! and yet I doubt if 10% of us really understand terms like ‘crime involving moral turpitude’. Yet we sign a certification that we do understand this question on the I-94W. There are 26 other nations who can use the Visa Waiver Program and few of them have English as their mother tongue; how are they supposed to understand it.

I used to enter on a Visa many years ago. However the first time I used the VWP I looked at the question, with its reference to sentences of confinement for 5 years or more, and obviously answered ‘No’. However had I been arrested, and served a short prison sentence I would still have answered ‘No’ with a clear conscience; because, on my understanding of that question, that would have been the correct answer.

All you are asked to do is certify your answers are "true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief"

It is only since people have started examining the minutia of regulations, now available on the web, that different interpretations are possible. However there is absolutely no requirement or instruction to read such obscure publications.