British Have No Issues Going To Usa?

[Dr. Burrito]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that British citizens can just hop on a plane and go to the USA with no special fuss. Is this correct or incorrect?

Thanks,

Dr. B

[sbk]

Yes, to an extent:

The US has a visa waiver program for quite a few countries:

Details about the Visa Waiver Program

Most visitors to the United States enter the country as tourists. With the introduction of visa free travel to citizens of 27 countries, it is now possible for many travelers, including British citizens, to enter the United States without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program (WVP). Visa free travel is also available to qualified travelers who enter the United States on business or in transit.

Citizens of the following countries: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom may travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program if they meet ALL of the following requirements:

• The traveler is a citizen of one of the countries named above, traveling on a valid, individual machine readable passport. Note: A passport indicating that the bearer is a British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British National (Overseas) Citizen, or British Protected Person does not qualify for travel without a visa. A passport which states holder has Right of Abode or indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom does not qualify for visa free travel;

• Traveling for business, pleasure or transit only;

• Staying in the United States for 90 days or less;

Plus, if entering the United States by air or sea is,

• Holding a return or onward ticket. If traveling on an electronic ticket, a copy of the itinerary must be carried for presentation to U.S. immigration at the port of entry. Note: Travelers with onward tickets terminating in Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or the Caribbean Islands must be legal permanent residents of these areas;

• Entering the United States aboard an air or sea carrier that has agreed to participate in the program. This includes aircraft of a U.S. corporation that has entered into an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to carry passengers under the Visa Waiver Program. Note: Other private or official aircraft or vessels do not meet this requirement; and

• In possession of a completed form I-94W, obtainable from airline and shipping companies;

Or, if entering the United States by land from Canada or Mexico,

• Is in possession of a completed form I-94W, issued by the immigration authorities at the port of entry, and a $6.00 fee, payable only in U.S. dollars.

To assist you in determining if you may travel under the Visa Waiver Program we have constructed a Visa Waiver Wizard.

Important: Some travelers may not be eligible to enter the United States visa free under the VWP. These include people who have been arrested, even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction, those with criminal records, (the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to U.S. visa law), certain serious communicable illnesses, those who have been refused admission into, or have been deported from, the United States, or have previously overstayed on the VWP. Such travelers must apply for special restricted visas. If they attempt to travel without a visa, they may be refused entry into the United States.

london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/visa/niv/vwp.html

[vinny]

The UK participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)

[Crossy]

I think there are also some requirements of your passport although I can't find them right now

My PP is not machine readable (the area under my photo where all the weird letters are is blank), apparently this means I must get a visa should I desire to go to the US.

I'm not sure if the requirement for your PP to be biometric is being enforced.

Probably best to check out the embassy website and/or give them a buzz if you don't have the absolutely latest UK PP.

[britmaveric]

No issues - 90days on arrival.

[Dr. Burrito]

No issues - 90days on arrival.

Even if it's not machine readable? I know my mate does not have one of those kind of passports.

Thanks for all the information.

Dr. B

[britmaveric]

No issues - 90days on arrival.

Even if it's not machine readable? I know my mate does not have one of those kind of passports.

Thanks for all the information.

Dr. B

Neither do I.

[mikethevigoman]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that British citizens can just hop on a plane and go to the USA with no special fuss. Is this correct or incorrect?

Thanks,

Dr. B

just dont make any mistakes on the visa waiver form, i did and was sent back from florida on the same plane i arrived on ! ,.

[vinny]

I think there are also some requirements of your passport although I can't find them right now

See also the link in my post for further information.

[Crossy]

No issues - 90days on arrival.

Even if it's not machine readable? I know my mate does not have one of those kind of passports.

Thanks for all the information.

Dr. B

Neither do I.

When they refer to 'machine readable' (which the PP must be) they are NOT talking about 'biometric' passports. The machine readable part is the white area at the bottom of the photo page, usually filled with black text. My PP does not have this text (it is a replacement issued in Rome, full validity but not machine readable).

The US is the only country which has thus far had an issue with this passport.

There was talk that only biometric passports would be acceptable in the future, evidently this requirement is not enforced as yet.

From this site http://www.natives.co.uk/news/2004/09/21pass.htm :-

Have I got a MR passport?

To help you carry out this check, a British passport is machine readable when there are two lines of letters, numbers and chevrons (“>>>>>”) printed across the long edge of the personal information page (the page with photograph and personal details). The machine-readable text will appear on a white strip on older passports and directly on the pink page of newer passports. If there are no such lines of text on the personal information page, the passport is not machine-readable.

Edited October 12, 2007 by Crossy

[Mahout Angrit]

The US is the only country which has thus far had an issue with this passport.

There was talk that only biometric passports would be acceptable in the future, evidently this requirement is not enforced as yet.

A friend of mine was refused boarding on a flight to USA (in Saudi Arabia)because his passport was not an epassport. He was told to get a visa or a new passport. I dont know what his old passport was but I would suspect it was machine readable as UK have been issuing the passports with 2 machine readable lines for more than 10 years. I would check with the USA authorities.

[themuse1969]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that British citizens can just hop on a plane and go to the USA with no special fuss. Is this correct or incorrect?

Thanks,

Dr. B

Nay, not so, Doctor. I live in spiritual community in the US. A Brit was here for 6mos on a "religious education" visa. He returned home to apply for a 1yr continuation visa. Thought he had his "T's" crossed and "i's" properly dotted. He was to pass through immigration at Minneapolis, Minnesota enroute....and was refused....and had to return home. Needless to say, he is a dejected soul.

The Yank Homeland Security debacle has bred unnecessary paranoia and improper handling of visa applications and applicants, sheepish to say. Many foreigners want to come to the US to cash in on the opulence of this materialistic society to fulfill their on greedy objectives. This bloke I'm giving count of, was intent purely on service....which, of course, he can achieve wherever he ends up.

[endure]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that British citizens can just hop on a plane and go to the USA with no special fuss. Is this correct or incorrect?

Thanks,

Dr. B

Not quite. If you have ever had any dealings with the police you are not eligible for the VWP. Those dealings do not have to consist of a conviction. Theoretically if you have ever been pulled over or stopped by the police for any reason at all but have not been charged or convicted you are not able to take advantage of the VWP and must volunteer yourself for a visa application which will involve you in an interview at the US Embassy in London.

[NanLaew]

If traveling on the visa waiver, your carrier from the UK may ask to see your return ticket before you even get on the plane. Similarly, you may be asked to show evidence of return travel or "onward travel to a third country where you are legally resident" by the US Immigration at point of entry. Some US airports are 'easier' than others but you can rest assured that the US Department of Homeland Paranoia is inconsistent and unpredictable.

[bkk_mike]

The US is the only country which has thus far had an issue with this passport.

There was talk that only biometric passports would be acceptable in the future, evidently this requirement is not enforced as yet.

A friend of mine was refused boarding on a flight to USA (in Saudi Arabia)because his passport was not an epassport. He was told to get a visa or a new passport. I dont know what his old passport was but I would suspect it was machine readable as UK have been issuing the passports with 2 machine readable lines for more than 10 years. I would check with the USA authorities.

It depends.

If issued by the passport office in the UK, then yes, almost certainly it would be machine-readable.

However, if it was issued at an embassy, you could easily have a current passport where the machine-readable section is blank. (my daughter's first passport - issued in Bangkok less than 10 years ago - was blank in the machine readable section, so she needed a Visa when we went to Disneyworld.)

[mikethevigoman]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that British citizens can just hop on a plane and go to the USA with no special fuss. Is this correct or incorrect?

Thanks,

Dr. B

Not quite. If you have ever had any dealings with the police you are not eligible for the VWP. Those dealings do not have to consist of a conviction. Theoretically if you have ever been pulled over or stopped by the police for any reason at all but have not been charged or convicted you are not able to take advantage of the VWP and must volunteer yourself for a visa application which will involve you in an interview at the US Embassy in London.

Exactly, i failed to disclose that i was banned from driving in 1972 ! they refused me entry into florida and i was sent back to london on the same plane i arrived on !

[samran]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that British citizens can just hop on a plane and go to the USA with no special fuss. Is this correct or incorrect?

Thanks,

Dr. B

Not quite. If you have ever had any dealings with the police you are not eligible for the VWP. Those dealings do not have to consist of a conviction. Theoretically if you have ever been pulled over or stopped by the police for any reason at all but have not been charged or convicted you are not able to take advantage of the VWP and must volunteer yourself for a visa application which will involve you in an interview at the US Embassy in London.

Exactly, i failed to disclose that i was banned from driving in 1972 ! they refused me entry into florida and i was sent back to london on the same plane i arrived on !

how did they know you were banned from driving?