ooh, i really hope you find out soon & get to go! i do wish they didnt make you wait so long so you could actually book in advance etc!

going to NYC next month and due to unforeseen circumstances are only getting chance to plan it now.

what basics do i need to know?

such as do i need visas for us etc...

If you hold a British passport you just need to complete an ESTA form prior to departure. Do it via the US Embassy website and it is simple and free!

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/niv/esta.html

thanks a lot for that

That is not strictly true. If you have ever been arrested for a crime involving moral turpitude then you are not eligible for a visa waiver or ESTA.

I have merged this topic with the existing topic on visas, etc.

luci

what is moral turpitude?

Google is your friend

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_turpitude

luci

Apparently despite filling in the oline form you still have to complete the green form on the plane as well!

Yes you still have to complete the VW on the plane. The two are running in conjunction for the foreseeable future.

It now asks for a mobile number and email address, but the space for the email is really short.

luci

Hello,

for anybody who might read & be interested. My Husband had another visa appointment other week in London, same as last time really, they`ll recommend that he recieve a waiver of inelegibility again so we just have to wait for the outcome, the letter he brought out with him said it can take up to 14 - 16 weeks maybe longer!! so im guessing were in for a long wait again.....

He was in & out quite quickly this time only about 1 hour, he said they had changed the system a little bit. I must add got offered an appointment alot quicker this time compared to last year when i rang to make the appointment had to wait a good 3 months i think for the earliest appointment with the visa co ordination officer, this time however got offered an appointment within 2 weeks, took a later one for the next month but still the offer was there....

Jords if you read this have you heard anything yet?

Hi bubble123 ! Not sure if you meant me or not ! but yes we have heard ! My husband had an email on August 14th so only 3 weeks later asking him to send in his passport so it's looking good !! We just now have to wait a bit longer for it to be returned which they say can take another 15-20 working days ! He had a nightmare with the courier service though - SMS is rubbish ! Can't believe the US Embassy use such a useless courier company. We rang and made the appointment then the the following day they rang to confirm it, thought payment had been made the previous day but for some reason the guy on the phone said to do it the next day and so all his details had to be given again, as it wasn't stored in their system. Then, they never came on the day they said they would ! and when my hsband rang he was told that the courier was there at 9.30am, and had a photograph to prove it !!???! even though my husband had told them he wouldn't be at work until 11am and was told it would be collected between 11 and 4pm !! Anyway, all was resolved eventually! and they came the following day ! Just hope we don't have the same nightmare trying to get his passport back again !! Be a miracle if they don't loose it in the process !!! lol !

That was a quick reply from the embassy.... when was the date you were hoping to travel? like what did you put on the application form? just wondered if thats why you heard back quicker if you were hoping to travel sooner.... still at least it wont be long untill you can book up!! woo hoo

we didnt have any problems with the courier last time, they came when they said & delivered when they said, didnt get here untill like around 5 i think so waited in all day but well worth it.... lol. i did ask the guy who picked it up & he said it normally takes around a week, which it did, i think it got delivered around a week later, we recieved a txt saying they have the passport & it would be delivered the following day to which i got very excited!!

We put on the form that we wanted to travel on September 26th - but tbh it's now probably going to be more like October 26th -after all the hanging around and waiting ! Doesn't give you much time to book and organise otherwise ! We'll see how long it takes now for the passport and visa arrive ! Good luck with your husbands wait ! Hope it's not too long.. !

Yeah they do seem to like to keep it close to the date you intend to travel, a little too close as you say its not enough time to book time of work, search for a good deal etc & get what you would like.... Have you been waiting long for the visa to arrive now? Hope you ahve a great holiday aswell.... Im sure we wont be advised of the outcome untill next year, i think probably february time!!

Well it was collected last Thursday and there have been strikes in the London area and what with the Bank Holiday aswell, I doubt they even recieved it until today ! so maybe this time next week we'll have our answer !
Februaury ?!! That's ages !! When are you plannig on going away ? Not until next year then I take it ?!!

well were hoping to go next year, i just like for my husband to apply in advance as they say to do so, the letter he came out with says its currently taking around 14 -16 weeks, which takes us untill december & i just have a feeling it will take longer again. i contacted the embassy last time after the 8 week wait & they said basically its still been processed & if you havnt heard from us by march please contact us again & we wanted to go in april. so again they like to notify you nearer your intended date of travel, which is what they said to me. we then got an email in february to ask for passport so they could issue visa. so i dont hold hope of hearing before then to be honest. if we left it later for him to apply, we may not find out in time etc & then really have to delay our holiday, as we have said theres not much time to organize!! lol. thats why i like to look around now & have a kind of idea of where & when etc we would like to go.

was it miami you are hoping to go to? i will be interested to hear about your holiday on your return.

hi there, i got arrested in may 2008 but i didnt go to court until just a few weeks ago, i pleaded guilty to simple possesion of a class A. Basically my friend had 2 previous convictions of possesion and a 3rd might of ment prison for him, so when we got stopped in his car i took the rap for it to save his skin now the only problem is myself and My fiance and my newborn twins and her family about 11 in total were planning a trip to orlando next year AUG. Do you think i should say anything on the esta or just say NO to everything, i have been to the US twice before with no trouble and never overstayed my welcome. any advice people could give would be great, it would gut me not to be able to go.

Hi and welcome to HT!

The ESTA specifically asks about arrests involving drugs so if you answered No you would be lying and making a fraudulent claim.

luci

it know it would be wrong to do it, but it just shows how desperate i am to go with my family, i know 100% the US do not have direct access to the uK criminal records, so how would they find out if i wasnt to say so on the esta??