Travelling on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)

[Steve]

Any person wishing to travel to the USA must have one of the following.

* An ePassport if it was issued after 26th October 2006 or a Machine Readable Passport, if your passport was issued after 26th October 2005 it must contain a digital photgraph

.......And

* A completed Visa Waiver Form (I-95W) Obtained from the Airport/Check-in/Travel Agent.

Or

* A Valid Passport

.... And

* A valid Visa that must be obtained prior to travel from the US authorites i.e US Embassy. How to obtain a visa?

Please Note: That if your child is travelling on the Visa Waiver Program then they must have their own Machine Readable Passport.

Other requirements if travelling on the VWP are:

* You must be travelling for Business, Pleasure or in Transit. Also....
* Be in possesion of a valid, confirmed return or onward ticket (eTicket receipt). Also....
* Staying in the US for less than 90 days. Also....
* Present a completed I-94W form to the authorities on arrival in the US. (These forms can normally be obtained from your travel agent, at check in or on-board the aircraft.)

Please note that you should also ensure you have the Address and zip code for the place you are staying in order to complete the I-94W form when you land.

See more about providing Advanced Pasenger Information (API) before you leave your Country.

However, ESTA is due to replace this system To read more about the VWP and ESTA visit Florida Life and Leisure (http://www.floridalifeandleisure.com/main/visa.html)

[ellie]

We did our ESTA application online before our trip in June and it was very easy. However, we were not asked for our numbers at all when going through immigration, and still filled in our 'green' visa waiver form as usual. Seems to be taking quite a while to bring in this system but hopefully it should make it quicker in the future.

It is very important not to lose this number, so we took copies of it with us, and left copies at home. I have heard that some people write it in their passport, too.

[Steve]

Yes ellie, I don't think that they know themselves what is going to happen. I even heard that it will not replace the green waiver form. <:confused

[Shirls]

I have heard similar things. I don't think it was well thought through, people on the ground don't like it and with the new administration, think it is unlikely to be pushed through.
I always wonder how many people are employed shuffling those little bits of green paper.

[Steve]

I would say it is a bit of a nightmare. The thing is ESTA, in theory, was a much better way of doing it. It could have been tied into the finger print and eye scan after you first visit.

[arkvilla]

We arrived yesterday and were not asked by anyone for our ESTA information and still had to fill out the green forms on the plane...

Sandra

[ellie]

We arrived yesterday and were not asked by anyone for our ESTA information and still had to fill out the green forms on the plane...

Sandra

Same for us. Absolutely NO interest whatsoever in our ESTA info. Daft, really, isn't it as it sounds so official that you MUST have it or else...<:lol

[Steve]

Ok ESTA will eventually replace the green I-94W form. At the moment it is/can be used to see if you are eligible to travel under the VWP. You need to make a note of your ref number so that you can update your details easily. If you don't have it it is not a problem, you just need to register again and get a new number, the old number on the system will be deleted.

There may be instances where someone booking through a travel agent may be asked for a printout from the ESTA site. There is no real requirement for you to show this as if travel has been authorised under ESTA the information is transmitted to the airlines or sea carrier. You are also not required to present evidence of your registration at check-in.

One last thing for those that are new to US travel, when it comes to ESTA do not pay anyone to do the form for you. It is totally free and can be done easily here. (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html?_flowExecutionKey=_cECAF6C48-0E6A-C9AD-428B-13A5359D19E4_kBA9F8B2C-43BB-36A9-9FC0-03BF736EFEC2)

[ellie]

One last thing for those that are new to US travel, when it comes to ESTA do not pay anyone to do the form for you. It is totally free and can be done easily here. (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html?_flowExecutionKey=_cECAF6C48-0E6A-C9AD-428B-13A5359D19E4_kBA9F8B2C-43BB-36A9-9FC0-03BF736EFEC2)

Glad you posted that info, Steve. We have heard of several people who have paid to do their ESTA form - apparently the sites they used are very convincing, but as you say, the whole process is, at the moment, completely free.:(

As long as people use the link you have suggested they will be ok.

[Mary and Colin]

Our guests that stayed in April just happened to ring me about something and mentioned the cost of the form. He was going to pay a lot of money for 10 of them. I gave him the free website and he said the paid site was very convincing and would have paid.
I now ask guests have they got the link.
Mary

[Mary and Colin]

Being as we filled out the form for our trip in June. Do i just go back in and change the date for this next trip? It is the same address just different dates.
Thanks

Mary

[Steve]

Hi Mary,

yes that is all you need to do. Just update it.

[Shirls]

I have never changed mine. The flight details are optional anyway

[Mary and Colin]

Thanks i will go and see what i need to update.

Mary

[ellie]

Must also remember to update ours.<:thumbup

[ellie]

We had to fill in a new version of the Visa Waiver form - it had more questions and these included your email address and a contact telephone number. No mention of the ESTA.

[Steve]

It does make you wonder when ESTA will in fact replace the visa waiver or if it will at all. I haven't heard any more about the $10 fee for ESTA either.

[JAF]

Did see something recently which implied the $10 fee is going through and will come into force.

Think Europe should reciprocate.

Always remember footage when Brazil started fingerprinting and photographing Americans on arrival in Brazil and a very arrogant lady told the news reporter she thought it was a cheek as she was an American - we thought so what she was only being treated the same as Brazilians are treated when they visited America.

[ellie]

It does seem strange that ESTA is supposed to be brought in very soon, and yet it is not required at all when you get to Orlando. It would seem sensible to start asking for it so that people got used to doing it before they go.

[ellie]

Anyone flown recently and not had to fill in Green Waiver Form?

[Mary and Colin]

We still filled the green form in last week Ellie.

Mary

[Shire Villa]

When we arrived at Philadelphia airport on the 26th of May the green waiver form was no longer required.

Angela

[ellie]

Arrived via Tampa. Green form still required.

Unfortunately...

Well, I never fill in the green form, never really trusted with it (and for good reason!) so we arrive in Tampa, off the 'plane quite speedily, kept waiting in corridor for some time and then a lady is at the front of the queue checking forms. Believe it or not, we Brits were kept waiting in a separate line and as each group of Americans arrived beside us she would stop looking at our documents and deal with them first! A great welcome!

Anyway, we hand over the green forms and guess what, better half has forgotten to fill in the small bit at the bottom. Of course I resisted the temptation to express my disbelief as he has been filling the form in for years..:<wink

The lady directs us to a desk at the side and says do it there or they will send you back to the end of the line. Now don't ask me why but I am holding the forms so start to fill in the missing bit. Big mistake. Oh dear, I do it wrong. Better half not best pleased and says just cross it out and let's get going. Thus ensues argument about why its not a good idea to do that and we must fill it in properly. I win argument. Hand over new forms to better half who then spends quite a long time filling them in, AGAIN. Of course I am not popular. Queue at immigration now very long and slow moving and we join it at the back.

Eventually get through immigration and are on our way! Whoopee! But I guess I won't ever be allowed to touch green forms again. But of course I will be able to remind him frequently of the error of HIS ways! <:widegrin<:lol

[JAF]

Arrived via Tampa. Green form still required.

Unfortunately...

Well, I never fill in the green form, never really trusted with it (and for good reason!) so we arrive in Tampa, off the 'plane quite speedily, kept waiting in corridor for some time and then a lady is at the front of the queue checking forms. Believe it or not, we Brits were kept waiting in a separate line and as each group of Americans arrived beside us she would stop looking at our documents and deal with them first! A great welcome!

Anyway, we hand over the green forms and guess what, better half has forgotten to fill in the small bit at the bottom. Of course I resisted the temptation to express my disbelief as he has been filling the form in for years..:<wink

The lady directs us to a desk at the side and says do it there or they will send you back to the end of the line. Now don't ask me why but I am holding the forms so start to fill in the missing bit. Big mistake. Oh dear, I do it wrong. Better half not best pleased and says just cross it out and let's get going. Thus ensues argument about why its not a good idea to do that and we must fill it in properly. I win argument. Hand over new forms to better half who then spends quite a long time filling them in, AGAIN. Of course I am not popular. Queue at immigration now very long and slow moving and we join it at the back.

Eventually get through immigration and are on our way! Whoopee! But I guess I won't ever be allowed to touch green forms again. But of course I will be able to remind him frequently of the error of HIS ways! <:widegrin<:lol

You must have been unlucky and had a 'non Disney charm school' attendee as we have never had a problem going through Tampa.

Hopefully all airports will have got rid of the green forms by the end of the year but then I guess they will start charging for the ESTA to advertise why you should visit America. Hope they have some better adverts than those from New Orleans and Spirit Airlines based out of Fort Lauderdale or they might find they have fewer rather than more British visitors!

[Mary and Colin]

Glad you got there okay Ellie and that i am not the only one not trusted with the green forms. Must be a man thing. :<wink

It must be better not to have to do them.

Our last guests said they flew into Tampa and reckon they have never had such a friendly bunch at immagration, so i guess it depends on the day whos working. Bit like here then really good and bad <:lol

Have a great holiday

Mary

[ellie]

Our last guests said they flew into Tampa and reckon they have never had such a friendly bunch at immagration, so i guess it depends on the day whos working. Bit like here then really good and bad <:lol

Have a great holiday

Mary

Yeah, there are good ones and bad ones at every airport, and the actual immigration officer was fine.... once we got there. It was just strange that they gave the US citizens priorty in the first queue and left us waiting all agog. We love Tampa airport and would fly into it by choice any time. Its a great alternative to either Sanford or MCO. Picking up the car was really easy and quick.

We are now sitting in the airport on our way home, feeling really sad. We had a very exhausting 2 weeks doing our usual round of jobs at the villa, and apart from 2 days at Seaworld spent most of the rest of the time working. Temperatures have been incredibly high which made it difficult digging out tree roots in the garden and trimming bushes and replanting. But it was lovely to see the sunshine.

The skies have been a glorious blue and almost cloudless every morning when we woke up.

We hate the thought of coming home. <:cry

Ah, well we must go through security now.

See you all later! :<wink

[Steve]

Lets hope it's a one off ellie. :)

[ellie]

Steve, I am sure it was. We flew back from Tampa last night and it was brilliant. Its a really nice airport, plenty of shops to mooch round, and several different eating places and it is so easy as it is smaller than MCO. We would certainly have no qualms about flying in or out of Tampa. Security was very quick and efficient, too.

Now I am utterly miserable being home - despite the hot weather. And do we miss our air con? Too right! Its like a sauna here. :(

[Mary and Colin]

Nice to have you back Ellie.
I hope you feel better soon, i know i am finding it harder and harder to come home each time we go now. Especially if we don't know when the next trip will be.

Can i ask when you fly into Tampa is it a direct flight from LGW? i couldnt do a stop inbetween :(

Mary

[ellie]

We flew with BA direct from Gatwick to Tampa, Mary. Had a great flight over, and it would have been really quick getting through Immigration if we hadn't messed up our green forms...note to self: must remind husband to be more careful next time...

But at least I can tease my husband about it for the next few weeks! <:lol

Car hire was an absolute doddle too. Very quick.

[JAF]

Welcome back Ellie, glad you liked Tampa airport - we think it is worth the extra distance from Orlando for the convenience.

[Mary and Colin]

Thanks Ellie i will look at those flights as well now. At the moment they are a bit high for October :(

Mary