First timer! - how do I complete the visa waiver?

[Goofyish]

You go up as a family if you all have the same surname and hence one customs form

 

[juliebro]

Be prepared for random questions from the immigration official too. He asked me who I worked for and asked DH what was his occupation. We have also been asked how many times we have been to the US before and whether it was on business or vacation. I have also heard of people being asked how many times they have been arrested!

Julie

 

[carolfoy]

Be prepared for random questions from the immigration official too

HOw true is that??? last time I was in the states they asked me if I was travelling alone! I was so tempted to say ' no, there were about 300 other people on the flight too!'
didn't say it tho' thought I'd probably get strip searched if I did!

 

[jen_uk]

And probably would have heard the snap of the rubber glove going on!

 

[pauldents]

A couple of points:

If you are travelling Virgin, details on how to fill in the Visa Waiver and customs forms can usually be found in the back of the in-flight magazine.

On departing the US dont worry if the immigration officials dont take visa waiver detachment. They usually get the details of who has left by checking the aircraft passenger manifest.

 

[Cochise]

Cheers Bev and Tim.

 

[traceycooper]

I have just thought of a question - we are going over to get married next year so i will come back with a new surname, will i have to tell them or fill in the forms in two names or will i fill them in as my maiden name on my passport??
Also my DD & i both have the same surname but it is different to my partners (I'm divorced). So although we are one family we have 2 surnames - so how does that work with the forms??
The more i think about these forms the more complicated it gets!!!!

 

[jen_uk]

I think you stick to the name in your passport and you have to have the same name to be on the same form so you and your partner will need different forms.

 

[kpfran]

Hi all,
i have been reading all your posts with ref "Waiver Forms".I am flying out on the 21st oct this year and like some of you am worried about filling in these things.Thankyou all for your information on the forms,it is nice to get all the advice.Just to add my little bit of help,if you are worried about not getting the forms until the last minute on the plane then may i suggest you just e-mail Virgin Atlantic and ask them to send some to you thru the post.They are more than happy to do this for you.Hope this helps some of you.

regards Kevin.

 

[gbrchill]

Hi all,
Just to add my little bit of help,if you are worried about not getting the forms until the last minute on the plane then may i suggest you just e-mail Virgin Atlantic and ask them to send some to you thru the post.They are more than happy to do this for you.
regards Kevin.

What a good idea. Just remember when you are filling in the form at home to put the correct date (of travel) on when you sign it.

Chris.

 

[Sallieanne]

Thought I'd give you my tips as well!

Sometimes they give you the green forms at check-in. If they don't, ask for them (along with a few spares)

I find a coffee car with clean tables & sit comfortably & fill the whole families forms in (4 in all)

I find it helpful to have a piece of paper with our passport numbers, flight number & USA address written so you don't have to faff about with passports etc at the table.

Take your time, & only use one character per box. In my experience abbreviations are acceptable.

If you are filling in for minors (I think this is under 16) then sign theirs, but if there are other adults travelling with you they must sign their own.

We have met some really great (human) immigration officers, but on the whole they do NOT bring their sense of humour to work, so don't joke around unless they start it!!!

My 65yr old dad had his ripped up into pieces just because of one small crossing out & was sent to the back of the queue with his tail between his legs.

Hope this is helpful & doesn't sound like I'm a mad organization control freak!!!

Sallie

 

[kristieuk]

I have just thought of a question - we are going over to get married next year so i will come back with a new surname, will i have to tell them or fill in the forms in two names or will i fill them in as my maiden name on my passport??
Also my DD & i both have the same surname but it is different to my partners (I'm divorced). So although we are one family we have 2 surnames - so how does that work with the forms??
The more i think about these forms the more complicated it gets!!!!

Travel under your passport name, and use that name on the Visa Waiver. You only fill it in on the way out anyway.

You will need to fill in two separate Visa Waivers, one for your dd and yourself, and a separate one for your partner, and you will probably have to go up to the Immigration desk separately.

Don't confuse anything by trying to use your married name for tickets etc, because it will only cause problems.

Since you can simply change your surname when you get married without any kind of legal forms required, it can be confusing - but remember that banks etc will normally want a copy of the Marriage Certificate or sometimes a Statutory Declaration sworn by you to 'prove' your new name, and it's the same when it comes to renewing your passport. If you are going to take your partner's surname, wait until you get home, and do it properly. Next holiday, travel under your new name!

 

[wicket2005]

If you are filling in for minors (I think this is under 16) then sign theirs, :

I think it is actually under 14.

 

[Andrew2005]

Hi all,
i have been reading all your posts with ref "Waiver Forms".I am flying out on the 21st oct this year and like some of you am worried about filling in these things.Thankyou all for your information on the forms,it is nice to get all the advice.Just to add my little bit of help,if you are worried about not getting the forms until the last minute on the plane then may i suggest you just e-mail Virgin Atlantic and ask them to send some to you thru the post.They are more than happy to do this for you.Hope this helps some of you.

regards Kevin.

I tried that the other day, and got an email back from the saying due to the volume of requests they don't send them out anymore but as I live reasonably close to Manchester airport, they did say we could collect some from the check-in desk at the airport, which we did

 

[disneyvillainlover]

I have always put Manchester on the form, It has never been a problem even though the R is on the end with no box.

My mistake used to be that DOB .. always used to put it on the top line doh! LOL and that second part overleaf is after the do not mark below this line which is where the confusion happens ...

 

[gbrchill]

I have yet to understand why you need to enter the same piece of
information 3 times. Surely if the top bit is processed correctly
and filed away in the database with a record of the passport
details then they have the information, they can just look it
up from the number on the bottom.

Oh well, it's just one of the hoops one needs to jump through
to be let in.

Chris.

 

[disneyvillainlover]

Not sure where the third one is but one is for their records and the tear off part is for you to hand in on your return to the UK.

 

[marlouwrig]

and dont forget to go to the exit machines to say that you are leving the usa as they can refuse you entry the next time if you dont, you have to put pasport in reader left and right index finger takes a photo then it compares with the ones that you gave on entry if all corect gives you a reciept and you are free to leave the country think this is going to repace the green form all together soon
Paulh

Are you winding me up????????
In panic mode now

I didn't see any of these blasted machines at MCO this week.

Really really worried as I was given rather a grilling by the Immigration Officer on entry - he asked me if I ever travelled other another name (obviously didn't believe me when I said no), and asked me if I was sure that I had left the country in November when I said I did. He then made me wait for about 10 minutes before returning with two other uniformed colleagues ( and you might well joke about this but one of them did have rubber gloves hanging from his belt). They spent several minutes flicking through various screens and taking it in turns to stare me down.

And now you tell me I should have talked to some machine.

Help! Help! Panic! Panic! - Will they ever let me in again or will I have to go to Hong Kong to get my Disney Fix

 

[gbrchill]

Not sure where the third one is but one is for their records and the tear off part is for you to hand in on your return to the UK.

You fill in all the information on the front top part, then a little less on the tear of bottom piece and then turn it over and have to fill in a repeat of some of the information you've already entered twice on the fron into the free form spaces on the back.

Perhaps it's an attempt to trick you into forgetting the fake name your travelling under.

Chris.