US Visa Waiver - multiple trips

bairn7

Hi all

Just looking for some reassurance really. I took a recent trip to the US, arriving on 30 April. I entered under VWP so had 90 days admittance.

I'm home now but I'm travelling again to the US at the end of July and this initial 90 days expires part way through my second visit.

From research, I understand that when I left the US after my first trip, the original VWP entry came to an end so that when I arrive in a couple of months, it will be a completely new VWP entry?

Would the US authorities have been automatically notified when I left the US after my first trip?

Thanks

GibbsRule_No3

ESTA's last for two years so it should be okay surely? I went to DFW in April and am going back in June, so like you the 90 days from April would still work for June. DFW don't stamp the passport anymore, it was self-service (much quicker) so I don't have the stamp physically in the passport but I guess it is there electronically.

shaun_from_Africa

bairn7 wrote: »

From research, I understand that when I left the US after my first trip, the original VWP entry came to an end so that when I arrive in a couple of months, it will be a completely new VWP entry?

That's correct. When you arrive you are allowed in to stay for up to 90 days and when you leave, the details of your departure are passed to the US Customs and border protection.
When you arrive next time you will be given a new 90 entry permission.


You can check here:
https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/request.html;jsessionid=MpBVVLcKG8lynvWYGb1c1cL0k1PWRYJ26H4Tfq1G28mGQntG34TT!975261647
to make sure that they have a record of you leaving the country on your last visit. (I don't know how long it takes for the details to be entered following the date that you left)

EssexExile

A friend of mine was doing a season long baseball tour in the States. He tried to arrange to stay longer than 90 days but couldn't get through all the bureaucracy before he left. On arrival he again tried to get it sorted & was given a form to fill in. He sent this off with the required payment but heard nothing. He then popped across to Canada for a baseball game & as he came back he thought he'd give it another go. He explained to the immigration chap that in all he wanted to stay over the 90 days & the man said as he'd left the country the day counting started all over again.

So yes, you'll be fine.

SparklyB

Yes the ESTA lasts two years. Every time you re-enter the 90 days starts again.

The only thing you have to watch out for is returning soon. They'll want to know why you've gone and come back so quickly, because of course if it's work related or for any other reason other than a holiday you need the correct visa for that.

I visited the US for a three month stay once and got quizzed a lot about that. I also once went in March and went back again in May, and got quizzed again quite a bit about that.

InsideInsurance

Ex boss was going their 2-3 times a month for a couple of days a week. He was an employee of a UK subsidiary of a large US corporation but had a global remit meaning lots of trips to the NYC head offices to meet his peers or regional offices to meet some of his teams.

After a while immigration started getting a bit shirty with him about if he really works for the UK company or actually for the US parent company etc. In the end he got a second UK passport, the fact you can do so is hated by many other countries allegedly, and alternated which he was entering on and then rarely had problems.

jackieblack

EssexExile wrote: »

A friend of mine was doing a season long baseball tour in the States. He tried to arrange to stay longer than 90 days but couldn't get through all the bureaucracy before he left. On arrival he again tried to get it sorted & was given a form to fill in. He sent this off with the required payment but heard nothing. He then popped across to Canada for a baseball game & as he came back he thought he'd give it another go. He explained to the immigration chap that in all he wanted to stay over the 90 days & the man said as he'd left the country the day counting started all over again.

So yes, you'll be fine.

This is wrong :eek::eek: in fact it could not be more wrong! :eek::eek:
Leaving the US to travel to countries other than Canada, Mexico and some neighbouring islands is different, but crossing into Canada does not start the 90 day clock again, times spent in Canada is counted within the 90 days
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/194/~/visa-waiver-program---eligible-countries
http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/visit/visa-waiver-program.html
(maybe the rules have changed since your friend was told this? )

Also, I remember this news story from 2011
http://m.travelweekly.co.uk/Article.aspx?cat=news&id=37432
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2006028/Barbara-Dixon-Richard-Cross-locked-U-S-visa-blunder.html

dzug1

On the few occasions I've 'popped over' to Canada during a US visit the original 90 days has been revalidated on return - no starting the count again


But this isn't OP's situation. He will have been out of the US for a considerable number of weeks when he arrives for the second visit so should be granted a fresh 90 days without problem


The US authorities will know of his departure at the end of the first trip - either being told by the airline or picking it up from flight manifestoes

jackieblack

dzug1 wrote: »

On the few occasions I've 'popped over' to Canada during a US visit the original 90 days has been revalidated on return - no starting the count again

Ditto

dzug1 wrote: »

But this isn't OP's situation. He will have been out of the US for a considerable number of weeks when he arrives for the second visit so should be granted a fresh 90 days without problem

Agreed
I just thought someone else might read that and believe it to be true :eek:

Polly_Esther

GibbsRule_No3 wrote: »

ESTA's last for two years so it should be okay surely? I went to DFW in April and am going back in June, so like you the 90 days from April would still work for June. DFW don't stamp the passport anymore, it was self-service (much quicker) so I don't have the stamp physically in the passport but I guess it is there electronically.

How does that work? Do you just go through a gate without having to present your passport to an immigration officer? And was this done with a United Kingdom passport/ESTA?

Thanks for any info.

callum9999

Polly_Esther wrote: »

How does that work? Do you just go through a gate without having to present your passport to an immigration officer? And was this done with a United Kingdom passport/ESTA?

Thanks for any info.

Unless it's changed recently, it's only for people who have gone through "normal" immigration procedures on a previous trip (I thought that previous trip had to be on the same ESTA but it doesn't seem like that's the case?). You do exactly what you'd normally do with the immigration officer at the kiosk, then it gives you a receipt. You show the receipt to an immigration officer and if they're happy with it you go straight through with no further questions.