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

bell189

We are travelling to the US on 2nd February. We applied for non-immigrant visas at the American Embassy in October 2006 as we wanted a certain amount of freedom on the number of times we could enter the US. The new visas are proudly sitting in our passports waiting for our trip (they are valid until October 2016). This is the first trip we have made with the new visas having always used the visa waiver programme. Do we still have to apply for an ESTA?

DogSlobba

I like the friendly welcome message that pops up on their website.

Brie

BritSwedeGuy wrote: »

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

I lived in the UK for a couple of years having entered originally on a "grandparent repatriation visa". I subsequently moved back to Canada and then returned to live here 7 years later. I went through a 2 hour wait while immigration here checked me out refusing me even the right to make a phone call to inform my husband why I was being delayed. I think in the end I was allowed me re-entry was more due to the fact I had married a Brit in the meantime and that he and our cat had arrived a couple of months earlier.

Strangely enough the type of visa I had - and still use - was no longer being issued as it would have allowed people from Hong Kong with a UK grandparent the right to permanent residency in the UK. The government took it out of circulation just prior to handing Hong Kong over to China. Coincidence? All goverments are as bad as each other. (& I live here because I like it - including Royal Mail which is far superior to Canada Post)

dplumb

They might be as bad but the ESTA is just to visit, not live there. I can understand them checking a little more if they think you're staying for good or are going to overstay a holiday visa.

Spanner7

Cannot find any guidance on ESTA website for this situation.

Next summer we fly from UK to Edmonton Canada via San Fransisco (transit). We go by rail across Canada to the West Coast where board the US Ferry taking a week to get to Sitka & Skagway (USA). Then we re-enter Canada at Whitehorse for a 2 day bus journey to Anchorage Alaska (USA) for 2 weeks. We fly home to UK from Anchorage via transit at New York.

We will effectively enter USA 4 times, ie
1. In transit to Edmonton.
2. Our first night's cabin on the US ferry.
3. Our stay in Anchorage.
4. In transit in New York on return.

Do we need anything more than one ESTA each ?

What do we enter on the form as we will have 4 possible answers to the '1st night's accomodation question?

Do we get 4 ESTA's each to cover each entry into USA? Bit of an overkill.

Does anyone know the answer to this situation or any email address of the ESTA authorities?

Any help would be most welcome. Spanner7, 31st Dec '08.

he6rt6gr6m

Ironic, how the email showed us this link, and then it showed us how to get Broadband for £6.50 a month. Two birds, one stone, Martin?

SimbaSimon

Spanner7 wrote: »

Cannot find any guidance on ESTA website for this situation.

Next summer we fly from UK to Edmonton Canada via San Fransisco (transit). We go by rail across Canada to the West Coast where board the US Ferry taking a week to get to Sitka & Skagway (USA). Then we re-enter Canada at Whitehorse for a 2 day bus journey to Anchorage Alaska (USA) for 2 weeks. We fly home to UK from Anchorage via transit at New York.

We will effectively enter USA 4 times, ie
1. In transit to Edmonton.
2. Our first night's cabin on the US ferry.
3. Our stay in Anchorage.
4. In transit in New York on return.

Do we need anything more than one ESTA each ?

What do we enter on the form as we will have 4 possible answers to the '1st night's accomodation question?

Do we get 4 ESTA's each to cover each entry into USA? Bit of an overkill.

Does anyone know the answer to this situation or any email address of the ESTA authorities?

Any help would be most welcome. Spanner7, 31st Dec '08.

You'll only need 1 ESTA as its valid for 2 years. You don't need to enter where your staying on the online form, however you most likely will on the actual form (i presume there is still 1), no idea what your enter for when your in transit though!

IanatSeaton

alanrowell wrote: »

So if I lose it before the application is authorised? Or I make another trip to the US several months later and can't find the piece of paper...

The point being is that there are many circumstances when you could lose the application number and have no means of recalling it - unlike say your email address / date of birth / passport number.

I can't recall any other on-line system where if you don't have access to one piece of information, you can't use it and have no means of obtaining it again

If you have no printer why not copy the number from the online form and paste it into a word document which you then save with a title that enables you to find it later. If you don't have Word save it in a text file ( click on Start> All Programs> Accessories > Wordpad) You may be able to copy that file to a memory stick and print it at a friends. Or email it to a friend and ask them to print it for you. Where there is a will there is a way.

ukuwi

Would anyone know if an USA citizen with UK citizen spouse needs to get into this ESTA stuff?

Many thanks in advance...

he6rt6gr6m

Yes. I think you would.

A friend of mine moved over to the USA after marrying his partner, and he still had to have a VISA until he could be officially declared a US citizen. And it was the same for his partner coming over here when she was visiting.