Neil Hopcroft

A digital misfit

Further to yesterdays thoughts – anyone know what the visa requirements for either USA or Canada are? (I hold a standard, machine readable, UK passport with no complications) I’ve found a return to New York for around 150quid (ex taxes, I presume) and wondered whether I could take advantage of it….


Categories: Memories.

/ 33 Comments

33 comments

  1. susanofstohelit

    with a UK passport, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. I think you get an automatic tourist visa for the US, I know you get one for Canada. Given that you’re white and not particular scruffy, you shouldn’t get hassled much at customs in new york.

    Reply
    • neilh

      It used to be no problem, but I thought they were bringing in restrictions for UK citizens, I wondered how far they’d got.

      Reply
  3. jasontheknight

    Canada you can just walk straight into with a UK passport. US requires biometric details on the passport otherwise you need a visa, or at least they’re planning that (not sure if it’s come into effect yet).

    Reply
  4. purple_peril

    I’ve never needed a visa for the US, but I believe they changed the rules fairly recently so that you *must* have one of those passports with the machine-readable strip inside. My passport was issued in 1998 and it’s fine.

    Reply
  7. karohemd

    What said.
    Don’t forget, they now take fingerprints off non-US citizens (I think it’s the index finger of each hand).

    On the plane you’ll get two forms, a white customs declaration, and a green visa waiver. The first one is pretty self-explanatory, the latter has your pesonal details, passport number and multiple choice questions (purpose of stay, declaration that you don’t want to work or immigrate; Are you a terrorist? Do you want to topple the US government?)

    Reply
    • neilh

      Oh good grief, I hope the wording for those questions is suitably lax, if it said “Do you want to see the government toppled?” the answer is yes[0], but I don’t actually particularly want to do the toppling myself (though I would probably participate in a revolution should one happen to start during the week I was around). I wonder if a copy of the form is available online somewhere?

      …and, yes, I know I probably shouldn’t be talking about this on a public forum where I can get myself put onto the no-fly list by a little excess carelessness. But really, I do want to visit the States before they close their borders altogether, just so I can tell my grandchildren (heaven forbid) that I went there.

      [0] which I presume means I would need a visa? Or do they just not let me in at all?

      Reply
      • karohemd

        The questions are really stupid, just say no and you’ll be alright.
        You’ll laugh when you see it.

        [0] They won’t let you in and send you back, most likely.

        After some googling I found a pdf of the form online. The quality isn’t very good but you get the idea.

        Reply
          • karohemd

            That was my thought, considering what’s going on at some of the cons I’ve been to and certain things being illegal in certain states…
            Then again, you only have to tick if you intend to do these things, not that they might accidentally happen. *cough*

          • neilh

            Of course, I would never intend to do anything of questionable morality. Well, not before I saw how much fun it was, at least.

      • karohemd

        Another tip: Have a close look at the form, the caption is over the line you need to write on, not underneath it. This throws me every time.

        Reply
  8. neilh

    OK, that sounds like the kind of thing I’m after…any idea about short business trips? I’m not actually expecting to do any work over there…but you never know…

    Reply
  10. neilh

    OK, probably best to be a leisure trip only, then. Just wondering if there was some way I could claim it as a business expense for tax purposes…

    Reply

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