US Visa? Do I need another one?

Horasio

We all have a UK passport

Expiry Jan 2014, January 2015, February 2016

We have a clean record

We have expired passports from 1980s that has an indefinite visa stamp on it

Do we have to get another visa or are we OK with the form you fill in on the plane? (VWP)

I read the site and it goes on about chips on the passport

I am really confused

saveapenny

It all depends on what sort of visa it is. I have a full indefinate visa stamped on my old passport and was told that as long as I took it with my I would be ok. But as not many people now need visas I could get in on the waiver.
If you e-mail them they will answer just dont phone unless someone knows a cheaper way than 1.50 per minute

monkeyspanner

You can enter USA on the visa waiver program(VWP) and don't need a visa if you have a full British machine readable passport, which yours will be: and you are staying for less than 3 months. Your old visas are now invalid as all old indefinite visas have been withdrawn.(I have checked this as I, like you, have an old passport with indefinite multiple entry visa from the early 1980's)
For the visa waiver program you fill out a form for each passenger which will be supplied on the plane. Your passport is stamped on entry with an 'exit by' date and part of the green form is stapled to your passport. This counterfoil is collected by the airline when you exit the states, to log your exit.
Only additions now are that all entrants are fingerprinted (no ink) on entry to the USA.

Cardew

Monkeyspanner has summed it up. Just a couple other minor points.

Fingerprinted and photographed.

Green Form is an I -94W. You also need to fill in a blue customs form(1 per family)

You now must have and put down the address you are staying at on the first night in the USA. You cannot put 'touring' or 'not yet known'

Cardew

CCStar wrote:

I read the site and it goes on about chips on the passport

I am really confused

I think you are referring to biometric passports. These were due to be introduced last year but the USA have extended the deadline until Oct? this year and will doubtless have to extend that deadline again as no country has yet started issuing them. These have will have a chip containing your fingerprints/Iris scan.

Even when this regulation comes in it is only intended for new issue passports. The old passports will be valid until they expire.

Somerled

Remember not to leave the confines of the USA because the Visa is only good for flights direct from the UK. When I was there in the early 90's I traveled into Mexico with some US residents and only got back in the US because I was in a car with them.

hammy_the_hammer

Somerled wrote:

Remember not to leave the confines of the USA because the Visa is only good for flights direct from the UK. When I was there in the early 90's I traveled into Mexico with some US residents and only got back in the US because I was in a car with them.

i've gone from uk to us and then into canada back to us back to uk.

zappahey

monkeyspanner wrote:

Your passport is stamped on entry with an 'exit by' date and part of the green form is stapled to your passport. This counterfoil is collected by the airline when you exit the states, to log your exit.

No matter what else you do, make sure that the green form is taken when you exit. Otherwise you'll be looking at a long delay next time you try to enter the US.