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

MORPH3US

I just stuck Delta down in the end and it was approved so hopefully be ok.

Cheers for your help anyway.

omelette451

MORPH3US wrote: »

If my flight is with North West Airlines but is opperated by Delta, who do I put down as my carrier.

Technically Northwest is now part of Delta, so all Northwest flights are Delta flights, if you see what I mean. In reality if it asks you to name the carrier you should put down the company that will be operating the flight, but if they ask for the code you can put either (though the number part will differ slightly for each and you should take care not to confuse the two).

lapat

just a quick one on this i travel to usa twice in a month this year one with the misses for her birthday then with the kids
now i have done mine and the misses visa forms online but i havent done the kids yet, do i need to redo mine and the wifes when i do the kids. any help will be greatly apprciated

lindsey_toffee_girl

lapat wrote: »

just a quick one on this i travel to usa twice in a month this year one with the misses for her birthday then with the kids
now i have done mine and the misses visa forms online but i havent done the kids yet, do i need to redo mine and the wifes when i do the kids. any help will be greatly apprciated

No esta lasts for two years so you dont need to do it until it runs out

amsquared

My daughter is travelling to Costa Rica for a holiday in May and then flying on from San Jose to San Francisco via Houston with Continental airlines to continue her holiday before flying home to the UK.

I assume that by transiting another country to the USA the ESTA is all she will need. My daughter is a properly documented UK national and travelling on a Signatory carrier. So the following Q&A from the Overview of the Visa Waiver Program seems to answer my question.

Q: Are Properly Documented Nationals from VWP Designated Countries Arriving on a Signatory Carrier Eligible to Transit to the United States?
A: Yes, provided they are admissible to the United States.

Has anybody else transited another country to the USA with the ESTA process?

omelette451

amsquared wrote: »

My daughter is travelling to Costa Rica for a holiday in May and then flying on from San Jose to San Francisco via Houston with Continental airlines to continue her holiday before flying home to the UK.

Has anybody else transited another country to the USA with the ESTA process?

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by 'transiting another country'. What you seem to be saying is that she's flying to Costa Rica, then to Houston (and on to SF) as part of the holiday, in which case it counts as a visit to the US (not travelling in transit) and she'll be admitted as a regular European tourist on arrival in Houston. It doesn't matter where she arrives from, the process is the same. To be admitted as a tourist under the VWP/ESTA schemes she will need to have both a passport that marks her as a 'British Citizen' (and yes do look for this phrase because if it says, as you implied, 'UK national' then no she does not qualify) and proof that she has an onward flight out of the US/Canada/Mexico within 90 days of the date of arrival.

If the above applies, and it sounds as if it does, she'll be fine with the ESTA. She should remember though that not all airports are yet accepting only the ESTA form, so she may be asked to fill in the old I/94W 'waiver' (green) form on arrival as well. The cabin staff on the plane are unlikely to have these (unlike on Europe-US flights) given the originating country, but they'll be available in the immigration hall if necessary.

Does her flight to Costa Rica involve changing planes in the US? If so, she'll need to pass through US immigration between flights (and this time she definitely would count as being 'in transit'), and it's this flight that she should name as her 'entry carrier' on the ESTA application.

FH_Brit

Happy_saver wrote: »

I have a ten year US multiple entry visa stamped in my passport as I make extended visits to America. Do I therefore have to complete a visa waiver entry form?

I think when I normally enter the US by a common carrier I normally complete a white entry card/form whereas people on a short term vacations (less than 30 days) completed a green card/form. Does this still apply?

Happy, with a visa in your passport you should never fill in the green form as it is a VISA waiver program and yuo have a VISA then you should fill in the white form! Although that may now have changed due to this new ESTA Thingy!

FH_Brit

amsquared wrote: »

My daughter is travelling to Costa Rica for a holiday in May and then flying on from San Jose to San Francisco via Houston with Continental airlines to continue her holiday before flying home to the UK.

I assume that by transiting another country to the USA the ESTA is all she will need. My daughter is a properly documented UK national and travelling on a Signatory carrier. So the following Q&A from the Overview of the Visa Waiver Program seems to answer my question.

Q: Are Properly Documented Nationals from VWP Designated Countries Arriving on a Signatory Carrier Eligible to Transit to the United States?
A: Yes, provided they are admissible to the United States.

Has anybody else transited another country to the USA with the ESTA process?

Remember the VWP is not affected here - the VWP applies if you are citizens of certain countries NOT anything to do with what country you are flying (or other forms of entry into USA) from.

omelette451

FH_Brit wrote: »

Happy, with a visa in your passport you should never fill in the green form as it is a VISA waiver program and yuo have a VISA then you should fill in the white form! Although that may now have changed due to this new ESTA Thingy!

No. ESTA simply replaces the VWP, and for all intents and purposes it does so verbatim. Therefore if you've got a normal visa, continue to use that and fill in the (white) landing card as normal - for you nothing has changed.

amsquared

omelette451 wrote: »

To be admitted as a tourist under the VWP/ESTA schemes she will need to have both a passport that marks her as a 'British Citizen' (and yes do look for this phrase because if it says, as you implied, 'UK national' then no she does not qualify) and proof that she has an onward flight out of the US/Canada/Mexico within 90 days of the date of arrival...
Does her flight to Costa Rica involve changing planes in the US? If so, she'll need to pass through US immigration between flights (and this time she definitely would count as being 'in transit'), and it's this flight that she should name as her 'entry carrier' on the ESTA application.

Thanks Omelette451

She is a British citizen with a full British passport and will have proof of her return flight from San Diego to Edinburgh within 90 days. Her flight to San Jose, Costa Rica is via Newark with Continental from Edinburgh. I will advise her to state that flight as the Entry Carrier on the ESTA application. I assume she can leave the US address bit blank for the ESTA and cover that when she arrives via Houston 3 weeks later.