Immigration experiences in the USA after visiting Iran?

[Wanderlust_tim]

Hi all,
I was wondering can anybody advise if they have visited the USA having visited Iran before? I understand that in this scenario I would no longer be eligible for an ESTA and will need to arrange a formal visa prior.

I am most interested in discovering if anybody has any experiences in actually entering and leaving the country in this context that they could share?

Thanks in advance
Wanderlust_Tim

 

[JohnM]

Following with interest as I'm going to Iran in a few weeks and I want to go to LOTFAP next year.

 

[Steelo]

If you have an Iranian stamp in your passport and you are using ESTA you run a very real risk of being sent straight back. This happened to a Board member of Tourism Victoria - who was attending the Gedday USA events. So it appears that it can happen across the board.This poor guy was marched unceremoniously down to the back of the plane for a return flight home. I suspect as well as the humiliation of being deported - the ultimate humiliation was he was sent back in economy!

 

[JohnM]

Is there any way of avoiding an Iranian stamp in your passport?

 

[Steelo]

Not that I am aware of. My wife traveled there last year and the delay at the airport getting a visa on arrival was significant, if you apply for a visa before going - they will require your passport to insert the visa. This is a country where the ATM's don't link to the outside world - so the visa issue (and subsequent travel to teh USA) is just one of the problems you will need to be prepared for. Its not that hard to apply for a Visa to the USA rather than using ESTA - I think it it can be done on line - although you will probably require an interview.

Is there any way of avoiding an Iranian stamp in your passport?

 

[JohnM]

I'm resigned to getting a visa for LOTFAP next time I go. Just a bit of a pain after using ESTA forever. Even if an Iranian stamp in the PP could be avoided, I imagine there's a question somewhere as to whether you've travelled to Iran that would be prudent to answer honestly.

 

[Daver6]

Firstly, all the people who went to Iran and then the US have never been heard from again

More seriously, couldn't you just apply for a new passport after visiting Iran? Then the new one doesn't have that pesky Iranian stamp in it. Be a shame also if that page happened to fall out once you left Iran

 

[get me outta here]

Note to self. Visit Iran required amount of time just before passport expiry.

 

[romney]

I am heading to Iran in the next couple of months and am resigned to life being difficult if I was to go to the US any time soon. FYI for anyone going there soon, it is not possible to apply for the VOA online before you get there. I am hoping that will speed up the process. I am assuming it will be like the Vietnam visa online process. Anyone tried it?

My cousin's husband had been to Iran (apparently it's a great ski location), then went to the US and was detained for hours. I *believe* he had a valid visa, not the ESTA. His case is a little more complicated though, because the lives in the UAE (pilot for Emirates). For work he has no issues still going to the US, but as soon as he used his Oz passport he was questioned. All was good in the end. His wife and kids, who had not been to Iran, walked through as usual.

 

[AisleSeat]

Are you allowed two passports in Australia?
I know my dad has had two concurrently in the UK. He needed them for work (while he was away in one country, the other had to be sent off for another country's visa etc.) I recall there was quite a bit of paperwork involved.
Came in handy when he had work trips to Israel and Lebanon. Apparently its not an issue if you have an Israeli stamp going into Lebanon but you get questioned if its vice versa.

 

[kpc]

RooFlyer applied (and was approved) for a 10 year US Visa via in this exact scenario

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

My cousin's husband had been to Iran (apparently it's a great ski location), then went to the US and was detained for hours. I *believe* he had a valid visa, not the ESTA. His case is a little more complicated though, because the lives in the UAE (pilot for Emirates). For work he has no issues still going to the US, but as soon as he used his Oz passport he was questioned. All was good in the end. His wife and kids, who had not been to Iran, walked through as usual.

This is what worries me. A colleague has the required visa having being interviewed at the consulate. On his first trip, he was detained exiting the country for two hours of interviews on what he was doing in Iran and subsequently missed his flight with his wife sent on alone.

 

[slinky123]

My advise is to apply for your VISA well in advance of your intended travel date.

My daughter is still waiting for her VISA after her ESTA was denied for no reason at all. ( no criminal history and answered No to everything).
Its just past the 6 month point and her VISA is still stuck in Administrative Processing. She has never been out of Australia, nor are we of Middle Eastern descent.

US VISAs are certainly puzzling, I cannot help but wonder if she will ever get her VISA or remain stuck in the black hole.

I was chatting with a customer at work. He is an Aussie Citizen but born in Iran. He fronted up to the Melb consulate and was approved on the spot. Travelled the next week and had no issues at all. ( Had previously been to the US many times)

I really do think no two people are treated the same, my other daughter who did get her ESTA, travelled to the US, was treated very well and welcomed with a smile into the US.

Wishing you all the very best, just make sure you leave plenty of time and don't book any tickets until the VISA has been received.

 

[RooFlyer]

Not that I am aware of. My wife traveled there last year and the delay at the airport getting a visa on arrival was significant, if you apply for a visa before going - they will require your passport to insert the visa. This is a country where the ATM's don't link to the outside world - so the visa issue (and subsequent travel to teh USA) is just one of the problems you will need to be prepared for. Its not that hard to apply for a Visa to the USA rather than using ESTA - I think it it can be done on line - although you will probably require an interview.

Can't apply for a USA visa on-line; or rather it can't be completed on-line. You must do asome preliminaries on-line, including submitting answers to a long questionnaire and paying an application fee, but then you must attend an interview. See here for my experience. Easy, in retrospect, just time consuming.

I am heading to Iran in the next couple of months and am resigned to life being difficult if I was to go to the US any time soon. FYI for anyone going there soon, it is not possible to apply for the VOA online before you get there. I am hoping that will speed up the process. I am assuming it will be like the Vietnam visa online process. Anyone tried it?
<snip>

You can't get an Iranian VoA "on line" beforehand as far as I know (and have looked into it) JohnM and I are going on an organised tour and have decided to get a Visa on Arrival - the tour mob will be issuing us a 'visitor number' or some such that they get for us in advance; not sure if this is compulsory though.

When are you going to Iran? We are going early November.

Are you allowed two passports in Australia?
<snip>

Yes. You can get a 'concurrent' passport if you can show good reason why you need a second. I got one, explaining that I had to send off for some time consuming visas while also needing to travel frequently overseas for work. Concurrent passports only good for two years. Given the expense, you really want to need one.


Like others have mentioned, in preparation for travelling to Iran, I got a US B1/B2 'manual' visa; tedious to apply for and time consuming to attend the consulate (especially if you don't live there!) but straightforward for me and approved on the spot (after saying I was going to visit Iran), passport delivered back to me in a few days. Will look forward to trying it out after I visit Iran

 

[Cynicor]

If you can get a passport for another country, use that for one of the visits. I know someone with Iraqi travel who has done this no issues. It does involve lying on the ESTA though.

 

[RooFlyer]

If you can get a passport for another country, use that for one of the visits. I know someone with Iraqi travel who has done this no issues. It does involve lying on the ESTA though.

And who knows what data the US border agents can see on their screens when you stand in front of them!!

 

[AisleSeat]

And who knows what data the US border agents can see on their screens when you stand in front of them!!

Yes, quite. You can read about my ordeal with that in a thread in the Immigration section.

 

[romney]

You can't get an Iranian VoA "on line" beforehand as far as I know (and have looked into it) JohnM and I are going on an organised tour and have decided to get a Visa on Arrival - the tour mob will be issuing us a 'visitor number' or some such that they get for us in advance; not sure if this is compulsory though.

When are you going to Iran? We are going early November.

Hi Rooflyer

Have a look at this link - IR-IRAN Electronic Visa (Iran eVisa) Application - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - this is what I was looking at that seems to tell me that I (Aust passport) can now get an e-visa in advance. There are also forms here to fill in before you arrive for VOA. I admit I haven't been through it thoroughly, and I may end up fronting up at an embassy en route and getting it there.

I am not sure when we will be there, but November sometime is most likely. Myself and my husband are travelling long term and while we have a semi planned path, we are only booking a week or two in advance so we can add in or take out places as we see fit! Originally we were only supposed to be in Europe for 2 1/2 months, now it's up to 5 1/2!

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks! Hadn't seen that before, and I thought I had trawled all angles. Will have to investigate further ...

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

Yes, quite. You can read about my ordeal with that in a thread in the Immigration section.

Which thread is that Aisleseat?