You must apply for an ESTA online to enter the USA after 12 Jan 2009

BritSwedeGuy

sturll wrote: »

It is the land of the free, sadly there are always going to be people who attempt to take away that liberty.
For that reason steps have to be taken to protect the citizens of that nation and that includes registering everyone who enters.
As for the PNC that is well protected by UK legislation so no worries about access to that.

However if through what i can only deem to be ignorance and arrogance you opt not to travel to the US because the nasty man wanting to protect his country wants to take your finger prints then you will miss out on one of the most naturally beautiful countries and amazing places on earth.

Land of the free my !!!!.

sturll

BritSwedeGuy wrote: »

Land of the free my !!!!.

And Britain is then?

Len_Beach

Morning Guys,

Probably a very stupid question I know. I'm going to Mexico on 09.02.08, does this apply purely to the U.S.A or will Mexico require this as well?

Thanks,

Ben

DelBoyPhil

i had to once send a bill for my mobile to confirm i was in the uk lol

laurann20

I'm actually a US citizen, but with UK residence and have been living in the UK for 7 years. I'm visiting the US in March. Just wondering if any one knows if this new form will affect me in any way. I guess I don't need to fill it out, being a US citizen, but would I need to do something extra to get back into the UK? I might have to take this one up with immigration, but if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

furrypig

well just completed mine and sons for trip in Feb neede to wait for daughters passport to arrive to do hers and hubby can do his own!!

Patrick_de_Swayze

Re Sorry if this is obvious to some people... but it's not to me, what if you're just changing planes in the USA en route to another country? Do you need to fill out one of these online thingamajigs?



My experience is, yes, even though logic dictates that you are not really visiting their precious country. USA officials are very twitchy and will always opt for most rigorous interpretation of any rules they themselves have made up .... It only takes 5 minutes to fill in the form so why make not life fussfree ?

dplumb

> steps have to be taken to protect the citizens of that nation

I'm all for that, but ESTA won't help (as ID cards wouldn't have helped here) - a "clean face" will pass but minor offences and badly filled forms will end up deporting people.

> However if through what i can only deem to be ignorance and arrogance you opt not to travel to the US

It's not about that but my privacy - if the UK decided to fingerprint everyone who wanted to travel on the tube there'd be uproar. You're innocent until proven guilty, both in the UK and US, not the other way around. The prize of entry isn't worth what you have to give up (for me, and plenty of others). There are more than enough places in the world to see than you could ever have time in a life, even excluding the USA - and all will welcome you as a guest not a possible threat to their so-called "freedom".

BritSwedeGuy

sturll wrote: »

And Britain is then?

Did I say that?
(I smell a Daily Mail reader.)

Brie

Does this just apply if you're flying into the US? I'm going to be visiting family who live on the right side of the border and then plan on driving from Canada down to Lake Placid NY. I'm ok (Canadian passport so different rules apply for me) but my UK hubby will supposedly need a visa.

Does it make any difference that he has an old style UK passport due to expire in a couple of years?


(by the way the website is working again.)