US Visa regulations

[Erico]

After much web searching I am still confused!

As a British citizen arriving aboard a British boat to cruise the East Coast for around 4 months, do I need to obtain a visa BEFORE I arrive at a port of entry in the US or can I sort it out when I clear in?

Thanks.

Eric

 

[DaveNTL]

you have to get it before - the 'visa waiver scheme' only applies to 'approved carriers' such as British Airways and is for 90 days

 

[Deleted member 478]

You need to apply for a B1/B2 visa. If you're london based, it takes about 6 - 8 weeks to get it and will cost about £80 pounds in all. Once you have booked your appointment, you will also need to take the day off because it takes a few hours of sitting around at the embassey.

 

[oldvarnish]

and make sure you read the website carefully and follow everything to the letter. There's no room for negotiation. I had an easy ride - in and out within the hour. January/ feb are good months to apply, fairly quiet. Make sure you get a visa valid for 10 years then you don't have to flog through it again.

 

[ChrisE]

Last time we did this we used Visa agents, cost about £25 on top of the visa charges and was done in about 3 days. Have things changed since 9/11?

 

[AuntyRinum]

This is just a suggestion.
The last time I applied for a US visitors visa, in the days when you had to have one in all cases, I used Thomas Cook's visa service. It cost £5.00 at the time.
Don't know if they still do this but I supplied them with a visa application form and passport and they had the visa back to me in 48 hours.
Worth a check to see if they still do this. They would send a courier to London with a whole load of passports and applications and it saved having to wait around at the Embassy.

 

[BrendanS]

You are a long time out of date. Nowdays you have to visit in person for an interview
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/niv/index.html

 

[AuntyRinum]

"You are a long time out of date. Nowdays you have to visit in person for an interview"

Not surprised! I had to go to Guatemala a couple of months ago. I was in transit at Dallas, Fort Worth but, even though I wasn't visiting the US, I was fingerprinted on the way out and on the way back.

 

[BrendanS]

Everything changed after 9/11

 

[SimonJ]

You can get USA Visas from the bigger US Embassies. For example Lisbon, it takes two visits and a brief interview and is probably quicker/easier than doing it in London. If you are going to Caribbean then in Trinidad you can make similar arrangements. (You can also renew your UK passport there simply at the UK Embassy). In Barbados strangely although it has a US Embassy they will not help with Visa. It MIGHT be possible to get one in Nassau Bahamas but have had no feedback - however if your boat exceeds 35ft LOA you will need a 300 US Dollar cruising permit to visit Bahamas for any period!Good luck.

 

[oldvarnish]

I had a nephew who needed an urgent US visa to join a merchant ship. He was told to go to Belfast - more or less over the counter. I imagine there must be an embassy or consulate there