visa confusion?

[m1ke]

Hi ,I got all my flight information paperwork today and it asks six questions to see if I can travel without a visa the 2 that bug me are ,

1. 'do you have a comunicable disease,physical or mental disorder, or are you a drug abuser or addict'. now the part that interests me is 'physical or mental disorder' do I have to inform them I have Chrohns?, or worse do they class me the same as a drug addict, to me that is Well out of order.

2.I was convicted of a driving offence 17 years ago do I still have to inform them of that?.
any advice would be appreciated. thanks in advance Mike

[blott]

1. Er, I think you'll find they're more interested in HIV, or something of public health significance or a drug abuser. See http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web...iv/add_req.htm

2. Yes, you do need a visa in theory as you're not meant to travel on the visa waiver program if you have been arrested. See http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/visa/niv/vwp.htm

[m1ke]

just a quickie now then , how would they know if I didn,t tell em?. god we are talking 18 years ago for a bloody driving offence not murder or bank robbery. been told by the us embassy I need to take a couple forms to london for an interview .I live in manchester so a 500 mile drive to tell em I was stupid once and had some beer is pathetic!, I have every sympathy for their job after 9/11 but a error in judgement 18 or so years ago does not make me a threat of any kind to public safety or well-being. sadly This kind of iron-fisted attitude is making me seriously consider if I even want to make the trip anymore[:0]

[blott]

I'm sure you're right M1ke but they make the immigration rules for their own country, just the same as we do in the UK. Actually, I don't think 9/11 had anything to do with it as I'm almost sure they were the same rules before then.

They check your passport (which must be machine readable for a reason!) against their computer system but no-one actually knows what info they have access to although I doubt it goes back that far.

I'm sure that loads of people haven't mentioned this in the past as they haven't been as sensible as you and asked about it first.

I've had guests who got a visa for a similar offence and also, I'm sure, without my knowledge, some guests who didn't bother to mention it.

[m1ke]

thanks for the replys blott, but sadly I am really wound up now thinking I had done all I could, booked everything so nothing to worry about for 10 months and now this visa farce to worry about.( you may have noticed from other posts I have made I hate being undecided or unsure of my situtaion). thanks again Mike

[florida4sun]

As for your illness you do not have to put that down. As for the driving offence all depends what it was. If you stole a vehicle or got caught joy riding but it down. If its a minor traffic violation the dont bother.
Evry country asks these same questions including the UK, its nothing new. They are not gioing to penalize you for sonething you did 17 years ago. Dont worry and get on on with planning your holiday.

quote:Originally posted by m1ke

thanks for the replys blott, but sadly I am really wound up now thinking I had done all I could, booked everything so nothing to worry about for 10 months and now this visa farce to worry about.( you may have noticed from other posts I have made I hate being undecided or unsure of my situtaion). thanks again Mike

[hamptonlakes]

Hi Mike well i have been to florida about 10 times over the past 3 years and i have a driving conviction and 6 points on my driving licence and never state this and i have had no problems.

My conviction was 3 years ago

[huckleberry house]

Hi Mike
It does appear from the link to the Embassy posted by Blott that you may well have to apply for a Visa.There will,of course be people who have taken a chance and not applied for one and no doubt "got away with it" but for you to do so without the knowledge of the penalties incurred or without the forum advising you of the correct procedure would not sit well with people on the forum who would feel they had served you an injustice to give you false advice.
From reading through your posts you sound as if you like to have things organised and done properly and I do not think that you would rest easy not having taken the proper precautions.
As you have given yourself a lot of time before your holiday how about organising a long weekend away with a loved one,book a lovely Hotel in London,some tickets for a west end show and a fancy restaurant reservation and make a mini-break of your trip to the embassy.That way you can have two Holidays to look forward to and relax in the knowledge that you will not be turned away without touching Florida soil.
We have all done stupid things in our dim and distant past Mike that none of us like to be reminded of.To let a mistake of the past spoil what will probably be the most amazing holiday you can experience in such a beautiful Country would surely be another regret.

Lesley

[m1ke]

hello all, I have calmed down a bit now[:I], and have decided after reading all your comments to fall on the side of sensibility and apply for a visa, but i thank you all for your thoughts. and huckleberry I would love to do your suggestion but am afraid it isnt possible, nice thought anyway[8D]. one last thing is I contacted the courthouse where I was originally convicted of said excess alcohol driving offence in 1984 to get the form needed for my visa application and it no longer exists!, I was tranfered to another one that said the "memorandum of convictions" form I need would only now be available from "scotland yard" the saga continues!![8D]