Handing in the green visa waver forms

[karenk]

Hi all,

Not sure if anyone has ever encountered anything like this before but here goes.

We arrived in Sanford on 19th June, myself, husband and our two sons. Went through immigration, no problems and after a week, our two sons returned home. We took them to the airport, they checked in for their flight and that was that. None of us had seen our passports since arrival at Sanford as they were tucked safely away. Yesterday, my husband and I went to check in to return home from our two week holiday and noticed that the green visa waiver forms were not stapled to either passport. The check in clerk warned us that we would have trouble re entering the USA if we couldn't produce them.

My husband assumed that all four of the forms must have been stapled or inserted into one of our sons passports and all of them must have been taken when they checked in a week earlier (not impossible as we were stood at check in with them so it could be that the clerk thought there were four of us to fly).

Thinking back on it, I can't remember seeing the green forms after we passed through immigration on 19th June. My sons can't remember seeing them in their passports either and there are no staple marks in any passport so I'm starting to questions whether or not we had them. We weren't paying much attention (rushing to get the hire car) although I'm normally pretty meticulous about things like this.

Anyone know what the implications are if we go back to the US later this year without letting them know we've left and who do we contact to do this? All and any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks

[florida4sun]

It could possibly cause you problems, if you have them in your sons passport there is an address you should send them to by recorded delivery.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by karenk
Hi all,

Not sure if anyone has ever encountered anything like this before but here goes.

We arrived in Sanford on 19th June, myself, husband and our two sons. Went through immigration, no problems and after a week, our two sons returned home. We took them to the airport, they checked in for their flight and that was that. None of us had seen our passports since arrival at Sanford as they were tucked safely away. Yesterday, my husband and I went to check in to return home from our two week holiday and noticed that the green visa waiver forms were not stapled to either passport. The check in clerk warned us that we would have trouble re entering the USA if we couldn't produce them.

My husband assumed that all four of the forms must have been stapled or inserted into one of our sons passports and all of them must have been taken when they checked in a week earlier (not impossible as we were stood at check in with them so it could be that the clerk thought there were four of us to fly).

Thinking back on it, I can't remember seeing the green forms after we passed through immigration on 19th June. My sons can't remember seeing them in their passports either and there are no staple marks in any passport so I'm starting to questions whether or not we had them. We weren't paying much attention (rushing to get the hire car) although I'm normally pretty meticulous about things like this.

Anyone know what the implications are if we go back to the US later this year without letting them know we've left and who do we contact to do this? All and any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks

Karen
[/quote]

[ShirleyD]

If you find them, there is an address on the US embassy website in the UK to send them. If you don't find them, I would still send a copy of your booking and return boarding cards with an explanation. Keep the originals with your passports for the next trip in the unlikely case of problems

[E. Cosgrove]

Like Shirley I would also advise keeping your boarding cards as proof that you actually returned home, my husband was advised to do this as the same thing happened to him.

He did not encounter any problems re entering the US but this could have been because his return date was within the period that his visa waiver was still valid. We made sure the green form was taken when he left on that occasion and he has had no problems since then.

[Lyn]

I thought the ESTA was taking over from the green form, what will happen then? there wan't be a form to hold in your passport

[Robert5988]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:I thought the ESTA was taking over from the green form, what will happen then? there wan't be a form to hold in your passport[/quote]

Whilst that is the declared intention, there considerable doubt when, or even if, it will happen!

[Sniff]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Lyn
I thought the ESTA was taking over from the green form, what will happen then? there wan't be a form to hold in your passport
[/quote]
If/when it happens, it will be one less thing to worry about! It will save the US a fortune on staples

[karenk]

Thanks for the replies all. The forms are not in anyone's passport so I think they were taken when my sons returned home. We were standing behind them at the check in so it could have been that the person booking their seats just took the four (you know how it goes sometimes in the US).

I have an address in Virginia which we need to write to and I will do that in the next few days. Found it on the Amercian Embassy UK site and we need to send proof that we've returned. I'll take a copy of everything as per advice.

Thanks again