Multiple visits to the US

[harvyk]

I returned from the US on business last week, and I've now been invited back. I'm looking at travelling over there at the end of August. This time I travelled over there on the visa waiver program (a US-Visit number). Is there a limit to the number of times I can enter and exit the US, or a limit on how much time I can actually spend over there in total? Keeping in mind that I am there primarily for business, not a holiday.

I tried searching the DHS pages, but the FAQ's talk about entering on your first trip, not subsequent trips.

 

[SnowYeti]

I returned from the US on business last week, and I've now been invited back. I'm looking at travelling over there at the end of August. This time I travelled over there on the visa waiver program (a US-Visit number). Is there a limit to the number of times I can enter and exit the US, or a limit on how much time I can actually spend over there in total? Keeping in mind that I am there primarily for business, not a holiday.

I tried searching the DHS pages, but the FAQ's talk about entering on your first trip, not subsequent trips.

Don't think so but you can get a B1/B2 visa, it is pretty straight forward. I use it as I don't need to fill in all the ETSA rubbish each time, but you still have to fill in a IW-94 (White) rather than green one.

I think it cost me about $150 and it lasts for about 5 years. It's free if you only want it for a year IIRC.

 

[trooper]

No limit on number of visits AFAIK...

The limitations are (as you know I'm sure) max stay of 90 days per visit, and a "proper" departure between visits to entitle you to another 90 days...

..."proper" of course meaning something other than a side trip to Mexico or canada...:mrgreen:

I'm flying home to Oz on 2 July, then heading for the US again on the 18th for a longer visit.... then visiting briefly again two months after that.. and I don't expect any dramas at all...

Having said that, I imagine you WOULD run into problems if you continually stayed 90 days then left for a short period then back for another 90 etc....

 

[NM]

I think my max was about 10 visits in one year. I was spending 2 week in the US then two weeks at home for quite a number of months. All entries were under the Visa Waiver program. I was never subjected to anything other the usual questions.

I probably had over 25 US entries in that passport before it expired.

 

[adrian]

Earlier this year, I had 6 entries into the US in the space of about 5 weeks. Most were short entries - only a few days - or just transits. (I got very sick of Miami airport). Towards the end of the trip, I think that I was actually getting less questions by immigration. No problems whatsoever.

 

[auriga]

Don't think so but you can get a B1/B2 visa, it is pretty straight forward. I use it as I don't need to fill in all the ETSA rubbish each time, but you still have to fill in a IW-94 (White) rather than green one.

I think it cost me about $150 and it lasts for about 5 years. It's free if you only want it for a year IIRC.

The ESTA lasts for two years.

I don't think the white form is any shorter than the green one.

So I fail to see much of an advantage.

 

[Dave Noble]

The ESTA lasts for two years.

I don't think the white form is any shorter than the green one.

So I fail to see much of an advantage.

The green form has the questions on the back asking about whether a terrorist etc whilst the white one has nothing needed to be filled in

There is no advantage to a B1/B2 vs a VWB/VWT . I would only go for a B1/B2 if ineligable to enter under VWB/VWT

The white form saves me all of 30 seconds over the green one... Its the 4-5 minutes extra at the immigration desk when entering on the L1 that offsets it

Dave

 

[SnowYeti]

The green form has the questions on the back asking about whether a terrorist etc whilst the white one has nothing needed to be filled in

There is no advantage to a B1/B2 vs a VWB/VWT . I would only go for a B1/B2 if ineligable to enter under VWB/VWT

The white form saves me all of 30 seconds over the green one... Its the 4-5 minutes extra at the immigration desk when entering on the L1 that offsets it

Dave

And it means you can stay for 6 months instead of 3 which is advantageous for me because of snow season, don't have to leave and come back in !

 

[Dave Noble]

And it means you can stay for 6 months instead of 3 which is advantageous for me because of snow season, don't have to leave and come back in !

Actually I can stay for 3 years

Dave

 

[NM]

... but you still have to fill in a IW-94 (White) rather than green one.

Just to clarify, the white form is the I94 for people who hold a valid visa. The green form is the I94W where the W represents the Visa Waiver program.

 

[harvyk]

Thanks for this all, yes it's pretty much what I expected, just as I said in the original post the DHS website (and google searching) brought up very little info, and I didn't exactly feel like calling a 1900 number to find out about visa's, as for paying a some dollars to fill out a white paper instead of a green one I'm not too fussed by it.