Old Us B1 Visa

[BritTim]

I am a UK national. In an old passport, I have a B!/B2 US visa for the US issued in 1983 with indefinite validity. I last used it (successfully) in May 2009. I had the impression that US immigration would have preferred that I apply for under the visa waiver program instead, but my visa was grumblingly accepted. I am probably entering the US through LAX in the next few days (short business trip). Anyone recent experience using an ancient visa? Any other comments anyone would like to offer?

[BritTim]

Answering my own post, I went ahead and tried it. My 30 year old visa was accepted by the immigration official at LAX this time without so much as a blink.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Hmmmm, interesting. I have some Thai friends who had the "indefinite" U.S. visa. Starting about 15 or so years ago, when they entered the U.S. on it, the visa was stamped with something like "new validity period of 10 years" or something like that. It thus became a limited period visa.

Looks like you got lucky!!

From the Head Shed:

http://travel.state.gov/visa/questions/questions_1253.html#12

What are indefinite validity visas (Burroughs visas) and are they still valid?

Indefinite validity visas (Burroughs Visas) are tourist/business visas manually stamped into a traveler’s passport which were valid for ten years. Effective April 1, 2004, all indefinite validity Burroughs visas became void. Therefore, if you have an indefinite validity visa you must apply for a new visa for travel to the U.S.

and, from the U.S. Embassy in London:

http://london.usembassy.gov/faq-visa-gen.html#niv112

My old visa says "Indefinite"; is it still valid?

An "indefinite" validity visa is no longer valid for travel to the United States. If you wish to travel for business or pleasure, you are either required to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program, if qualified, or apply for a new B-1/B-2 visa.

Why, when I've always held an indefinite visa, was I recently issued with a B-1/B-2 visa valid for only ten years?

The U.S. Government no longer issues "indefinite" validity visas. The maximum validity period of a B-1/B-2 visa is ten years. The ten-year validity period applies regardless of the fact that the applicant may have previously held an "indefinite" visa.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Might be best to apply for that Visa Waiver program, don't want to get turned around on your next trip by a U.S. Immigration guy/gal who had a bad night.

Mac

[ubonjoe]

In reality there is no application process for the visa waiver program.

You must though apply for ESTA clearence. Website with info: http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/

[NanLaew]

A word of warning and based on my personal experience. Do NOT use the visa waiver procedure if you still have any valid US visa already in your possession. Whether it is one of these 'indefinite' visas or a 10-year visa that is in a valid second or expired/replaced passport, the travel document with the valid visa is the only acceptable travel document to present for entry into the US. Using the visa waiver while in possession of a valid US visa is breaking the law.

I unknowingly did this for over 10 years but eventually their systems 'caught' me and after several trips where they pulled me for secondary inspection and either accused me of past overstays (never happened) or insisted I could only ever enter the US via Houston, they finally 'discovered' this law that apparently has been on the books since the 1930's. I am a UK citizen but have to use a visa from now on and if I try to enter on the visa waiver, they indicated they may get more serious than just a secondary inspection.

The real-life experience of the OP where he has just entered the US on his 'indefinite' visa shows how inconsistent US Immigration can be; their Embassy says not legal but the guy at LAX said no problem. Maybe next time he will try and use it at Miami and have a different outcome. An English friend of mine traveling with his wife and daughter was 'caught' at Miami on their way for a Caribbean holiday cruise, him entering on the visa waiver as the US immigration records showed he had a visa in another passport. They made him sweat a bit before letting him in but insisting he use the other passport (with the visa) in the future. He said it was expired and that's why he was on the new passport and using the visa waiver. He was advised the passport may have expired but the visa inside it was still valid as far as US Immigration was concerned and he needs to show both documents when entering the US until the visa expires.

If the OP is planning any more US trips, I would recommend applying for a new 10-year B1/B2 which is 'easiest' done in London but they will process one in Bangkok if you qualify under their Thailand residence rules, etc..

Edited March 23, 2013 by NanLaew