Visa Waiver program

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novacatz

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Mar 29, 2006
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just wondering, does anyone have experience using the visa wavier program to get into the US? Is there any requirements /prepreation beforehand I need?

Do you need to do anything before hand or can I just rock up to the immmigration desk and say 'let me in your fine country thanks!'

i.e. do I need to know address I am staying/contact numbers and other stuff?
 
At the minimum you'll need the following:

1. The address where you will be staying at for the first night in the US. (this will have to be given to your airline as well before boarding)
2. An airline ticket that shows that you're set to leave the country at the time you say you will.
3. (Perhaps) Proof of credit cards/cash/traveller's cheques that show you have enough to survive on.
4. A passport that meets their requirements (see web link below)

Of course you also have to have a clean history criminal wise and terrorism wise. Oh and drug/disease/dictatorship wise too. (lots of weird quirks on the U.S Immigration form).

I prefer to call the immigration officer "Sir" or "Ma'am" (as in Good Morning/Afternoon Sir). But apart from that all should go ok.

Remember the U.S is a very suspicious country when it comes to immigration!

See also Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and Visa Waiver Program Applicant Responsibilities - CBP.gov and Sample I-94W Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Form (an example of the Visa Waiver form you will have to fill out)
 
Mal said:
2. An airline ticket that shows that you're set to leave the country at the time you say you will.

I presume an e-ticket printout satisies this right???
 
novacatz said:
I presume an e-ticket printout satisies this right???

Not a drama. Most tickets these days are e-tickets (which actually prove nothing due them being printed out and easily forged) but immigration still asks for them every now and again.
 
straitman said:
Don't agree. They're a lot more paranoid than Oz. :cool:

More paranoid - yes, but nicer to non Citizens, no so sure...
Several of my former work collegues (here on 457 visas), reckoned that they were on a par with most US immigration officals (excepting those in LAX) in terms of their questioning of the visa holders 'right to be here'. All agreed (as do I) that LAX officials are in a class of their own.

Australian officals still do posses a sense of humor though. One of my former collegues (a Scot) thought the question about any criminal convictions was quite funny. His statement of "I didn't think it was a requirement for entry any more!" was received with good humor and they waived him though with a smile afterward (or so he claimed).

mt
 
When flight attendants on the plane hand out the immigration paperwork, make sure you get the green form to fill in (plus the customs form). Assuming you're travelling from Australia this will be easy. But if you're on some weird convoluted route to get to the US, via a country that doesn't participate in the visa waiver program, you may have to request a green form (last year I flew from Peru to US on LAN Peru, and they had to go and find one).
 
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