Visa Waiver Scheme Update

[Lesley S]

At least I don't need to get one know before our next visit. Saving me money, for at least 10 months, and yes I know the price has gone up......

[chrisj]

Thats the same as us, our passports run out in 2005, so we can wait until after our trip
next July then sort out new passports

[mikewj]

It goes up to £25 tomorrow !

Details of all passport price increases can be found here :

http://www.ukpa.gov.uk/news/news.asp?intElement=614

[chrisj]

Just got thjs mail from the UK Passport Office. Hope this clears it up for others
as well


Thank you for your enquiry.

From 26th October 2004, All children will require a passport of their own to
enter the USA, a child will be refused entry to the US if they are included on
an adult passport and do not have a passport in their own right.

If you are planning to travel to the US with your child/ren after this date you
will need to apply for a new passport for your child/ren.
If you are still unsure, you can contact the American Embassy on:0207 4999 000
Thank you.

[hyte1]

Sorry to sounds a little thick but could someone please confirm the defination of a "Machine Readable Passport"

Cheers

[chrisj]

A machine readable passport has <<xxx>> lines like this under your photo

[Carla]

quote:Originally posted by hyte1

Sorry to sounds a little thick but could someone please confirm the defination of a "Machine Readable Passport"

Cheers

If you have a red passport issued in the UK, then it is machine readable. The older black ones are not. They run the edge of your passport, with the code line, through a machine, like a barcode reader, and it shows Immigration all of the details on your passport. You will then find that they may or may not ask you a few questions, just to confirm that you give them back the same info as they are viewing.

Information on any children travelling with you, if included on your passport, is not shown in the bar-code line, but is shown on a page in your passport. That's why they want children to have their own passport, so that they have details of them entering and leaving the country. This will also help put an end to a lot of the child smuggling that goes on.

[hyte1]

What sort of questions can they ask? Your name and DOB?? I dont remember my address being on the passport?

I must sound thick as hell eh!! Shows you Ive never been to florida before... Not yet anyway!

[Carla]

They might use your name, just to see your reaction!! If it isn't your name (stolen passport) then you are not likely to react in quite the same way!! If you have kids with you they may ask the child to say his/her name. One asked my daughter "who are you little miss?" This was when she was about 8 years old. It's all designed to check that everything is correct and above board, that's all.

They always ask me why I am coming to America. Where I will be staying. How long I am there for. When I last arrived and the date I last left, but that's because I go over quite frequently.

You will probably find that you don't get asked much at all since it is your first time and you have no history of entering and leaving America.

When you get to immigration, just be pleasant, answer the questions (if you get asked any) but there is no need to volunteer any more information than they ask for. Thoroughly check your Visa Waiver forms BEFORE you get to the Immigration official, to make sure that everything has been filled in, dated and signed, in the correct places. If you are unsure, then get it checked by a member of the cabin crew before you leave the plane. They always bring these forms around and give you plenty of time to fill them in before landing.

Don't worry about it. You'll be fine.
Have a great time.

[floridadreamvilla.co.uk]

They can ask you absolutely anything. They do it in such a way that it sounds like an innocent chat e.g. "I bet you are glad to be away from work for a vacation" - to see if you really do have a day job to go back to in the UK. They have even been known to ask the children questions which seem to be to test if what us parents are saying is the truth.

Tell the truth and you will be ok . It's really not as bad as it sounds and they are almost always very pleasant.