Help with VISA?? What do i need to do? Is it easy to get a VISA?

[sara969]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering what we have to do about a VISA to Florida?
We are going to Florida for 14days to WDW, staying in a Villa.
We are british and have a british passport and have never travelled to the US before.
But i was wondering what we have to do about our Visa ?
Must we apply and attend a interview at the US embassy?

I have read online about a VISA Waiver but i am wary about doing that incase it is hard to obtain a visa at the other end.
What do you have to do the other End when you decide to do the Visa Waiver??

I have also read that when you arrive in Florida airport it is a difficult process through passport control and they even take your fingerprints and you have to go on a eye scanner!!!!
What an earth is that for??? What do they need with ur eyes and fingerprints
Sounds pretty scarey, something out of a Si-Fi Movie!!

 

[diberry]

Nothing scary happens. Go here for your Visa waiver https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta....D3F3E03_k5CFA497E-2300-AFD4-AC5B-0B1C337CCFC0 - that's all you need - one for everybody in your party (even babies). They do take fingerprints (not sure about eye scans) but it's not a big deal - very quick.

 

[natalielongstaff]

I filled our ESTA applications the other week, it took a little while to do (15mins) and you get given an application number ( note it down)

its easy enough to do, dont be scared

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

In normal circumstances as you have a British passport you do not need a visa, rather fill in the ESTA form as described above and (possibly) fill in the same information on a Visa waiver form (the green form) on board the aircraft.

You need to do the ESTA form before you travel, you can do this now if you like, plus some airlines such as Virgin require you fill in the Advanced passenger information (API) on their website before you go also.

Both ESTA and the API are easy to do. Also make sure you have at least six months to run on your passport

The only time you cannot use the Visa waiver system is if you are someone who has been convicted of a prisonable offence or have been to prison.

 

[Lizzybear]

Unless you have been arrested and found guilty (not necessarily convicted, but this isn't something you need to worry about unless it affects you) then you can use the visa waiver program with no problems

 

[T16GEM]

We have been travelling to FL for 20 years and never had any problems with the waiver scheme, honestly nothing to worry about, sometimes customs and immigration take a while to clear, just due to volume of people, they do take finger prints but I have never had my eyes scanned! I believe some airports use biometric scanning but so far I don't think Orlando are using that yet.

 

[jen_uk]

I've been going to Florida for years and have never had a problem, just done the ESTA application for the first time now and it was very easy. DH has to have a visa as he is not British and that is a real pain, means a very dull day in London waiting for it, loads of forms to fill out etc.

 

[minimandymouse]

we have been 6 times and the last 2 times we have looked into a small camera at the Orlando International i assume it takes your picture and have had our fingerprints done too all of us with British passports

 

[sara969]

we have been 6 times and the last 2 times we have looked into a small camera at the Orlando International i assume it takes your picture and have had our fingerprints done too all of us with British passports

Gosh its seems really extreme dosnt it, perhaps im just not used to it cus our airports dont do anything like that!
What do they take ur fingerprints for??? makes u feel like a blomin convict hahaha Fingerprints and Mug shot!!
Hope they are nice to you, i will be scared!!!!!!!

 

[wickesy]

It's not fingerprints in the sense you might be thinking. There's no ink involved, you just put your fingers on a machine and they are done that way. The Immigration Officers take their jobs seriously (as you would expect) but there is nothing to worry about.

 

[sara969]

It's not fingerprints in the sense you might be thinking. There's no ink involved, you just put your fingers on a machine and they are done that way. The Immigration Officers take their jobs seriously (as you would expect) but there is nothing to worry about.

yes thats what i was thinking, ink fingerprints
Not so bad then

 

[Claire L]

It's not fingerprints in the sense you might be thinking. There's no ink involved, you just put your fingers on a machine and they are done that way. The Immigration Officers take their jobs seriously (as you would expect) but there is nothing to worry about.

Not alot of finger prints are taken by ink anywhere anymore, they are mainly electronic. The US take them for security reasons and good to check that the perosn producing a passport on one visit is the same person producing that same passport next time.

Claire

 

[sara969]

Not alot of finger prints are taken by ink anywhere anymore, they are mainly electronic. The US take them for security reasons and good to check that the perosn producing a passport on one visit is the same person producing that same passport next time.

Claire

Oh gosh thats how much i know!! Didnt know that fingerprints are not taken in ink anymore
Oh well as long as its not intimidating then its ok, just sounded really extreme when i read about it today.

 

[wickesy]

Not alot of finger prints are taken by ink anywhere anymore, they are mainly electronic.

Ah right, it's been a good 6 years since I left the legal profession so I didn't realise that. Must be a lot easier than desperately trying to get people to roll their fingers properly to get a good print.

 

[Claire L]

Ah right, it's been a good 6 years since I left the legal profession so I didn't realise that. Must be a lot easier than desperately trying to get people to roll their fingers properly to get a good print.

It can be, although the machines are quite sensitive. We have been using them for over 9 years now! Good for vitually instant matching as well

Claire

 

[bronny]

It's not fingerprints in the sense you might be thinking. There's no ink involved, you just put your fingers on a machine and they are done that way. The Immigration Officers take their jobs seriously (as you would expect) but there is nothing to worry about.

Just a quick point, I don't know how high profile it was, but there was a thing in the news a while ago about trouble with american immigration for an englishman who had been having cancer treatment as it wiped his fingerprints.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article6368231.ece

 

[Pegasus928]

Each time we have gone through immigration we have had to look into the camera - not sure if this is to take our photo or to check it against previous visits, and never really wanted to ask.
As for the finger prints its not all of your fingers that are scanned - just the index finger and thumb of each hand.
I would think it is also good for them to have them on record for identification purposes in case any crime is committed by a visitor to their country.
(Good job crimes against fashion don't count though - because how many of us would be found guilty of that one when on holiday )

 

[sara969]

Each time we have gone through immigration we have had to look into the camera - not sure if this is to take our photo or to check it against previous visits, and never really wanted to ask.
As for the finer prints its not all of your fingers that are scanned - just the index finger and thumb of each hand.
I would think it is also good for them to have them on record for identification purposes in case any crime is committed by a visiotr to their country.
(Good job crimes against fashion don't count though - *** how many of us would be found guilty of that one when on holiday )

 

[Claire L]

As for the finer prints its not all of your fingers that are scanned - just the index finger and thumb of each hand.

They have now started taking thumb and all four fingers, together, of both hands.

Claire

 

[sara969]

They have now started taking thumb and all four fingers, together, of both hands.

Claire

What do they do this for, may i asked? What is it for?
I wouldnt dare ask them myself i would be too scared too ask
Is it to keep track of you in their country incase u get arrested there? Just a guess.
Wonder why our airports havnt started doing these things? Maybe we are just a soft touch over here!!