Esta/visa help

[sweetsugar]

My sis and I are travelling from the uk to disney next may. We have just received a letter through the post about changes to visa requirements. Its a Electronic Travel Authority (ESTA)and its replacing an I-94 (whatever that is) . Anyway it says its mandatory from the 12th of January 2009. When we booked our holiday no mention was made by the travel agent about visa's or anything. Will we need a visa? we both hold valid uk passports.Will we need one of these ESTA things. Just a little confused if anybody can shed some light.
Thank you

 

[Monty]

Anyone from a Visa Waiver Country [you are] will require either an ESTA or a Visa as a prerequisite to boarding any aircraft or ship destined to arrive in the U.S. on or after 12 January 2009.

You can apply on-line and have an answer almost immediately. If approved, you'll have a number identifying that your travel has been approved. If rejected, you'll need to get a visa prior to travel, so apply as soon as you can.

More info can be found at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/

 

[sweetsugar]

Thanks for your relpy, all done and dusted!

 

[Monty]

Thanks for your relpy, all done and dusted!

:sohappy:

Glad you got it taken care of. I imagine there will be some ugly growing pains for people who don't.

 

[jody31]

Thanks very much for posting the forum sweetsugar, I'm flying to Orlando in May from Gatwick , I was also confused by ETSA.
Atlhough a necessary security measure in todays world, I can envisage people being refused flying for not having filled out the ETSA form ;plus not everybody is computer literate
I

 

[Wilson-uk]

Reading this just reminded me that i need to register our visit soon.

All i can say is im gald they have changed the systemas filling in the green forms mid flight each visit was a royal pain in the .

For those who didnt experience the cards be aware that the latest system must be much better. the slightest mistake on filling the forms out meant you had to start again. both times we visited the plane ran out of cards from people making mistakes and then having to wait and fill one out before going through passport control.

 

[wdwmagic]

Reading this just reminded me that i need to register our visit soon.

All i can say is im gald they have changed the systemas filling in the green forms mid flight each visit was a royal pain in the .

For those who didnt experience the cards be aware that the latest system must be much better. the slightest mistake on filling the forms out meant you had to start again. both times we visited the plane ran out of cards from people making mistakes and then having to wait and fill one out before going through passport control.

Strangely enough though, the green forms were still being filled out on flights to the US from the UK (BA) in early Feb. I am guessing they are running in parallel. Those green forms are evil. I am sure they were designed to induce as many errors as possible.