US Visas and machine readable passports

[Rogan Josh]

PS: It is just me, or is it a bit ridiculous that the US embassy won't tell you whether or not you need a visa unless you give them money up front?

Edit: The Paris US Embassy visa help-line is really funny actually. This recorded female voice tells you to have your credit card ready because the embassy staff won't answer any questions until they have charged $14.50 to your credit card.

[laurentius]

Yes, anything their machine can't read must have something to do with terrorism.

[MikeH]

What a joke.

[MikeH]

http://www.visapro.com/B2-Visa/B2-Tourist-Visa.asp

Would this help? Expensive but only takes a day.

[Rogan Josh]

ssshhh! I don't really want to go... I really want proof that I won't be let in so I can get out of it.

[MikeH]

OK...

just found this:

How Does the VWP Work?
The VWP permits nationals from designated countries to apply for admission to the United States for ninety (90) days or less as nonimmigrant visitors for business or pleasure without first obtaining a nonimmigrant visa. If the following requirements are met, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of State, may designate a country as a participant in the program:
The country offers reciprocal travel privileges to U.S. citizens;
Nationals of the country have a low refusal rate for U.S. visas;
The country issues or certifies that it will issue a machine-readable passport not later than October 1, 2003;
The country will begin issuing a machine-readable passport to its citizens not later than October 1, 2003;
The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of State, prepares a report evaluating the effect the country's designation would have on the United States’ law enforcement and security interests; and
The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of State, determines that the country’s designation for the program would not compromise U.S. law enforcement or national security interests (including interests in enforcing immigration laws).

http://www.immigration.gov/graphics/shared/lawenfor/bmgmt/inspect/vwpp.htm

What Countries Are in the VWP?
The following countries are currently in the program:

Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom

So... from that I think that UK citizens currently don't need a visa.

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Rogan Josh
ssshhh! I don't really want to go... I really want proof that I won't be let in so I can get out of it.

Oh... sorry.

[MikeH]

Quickly get convicted of a drugs related offence.

[Dinner]

You could always grow a beard, tell them your name is Mohammed, and keep screaming about "Allah" and “infidels” all of the time. That ought to get your visa application denied.

Then again remembering how screwed up our system is they might just let you go on in.

[Japher]

MikeH: I saw that line before and it seems to say that you only need a machine readable passport if it was issued after Oct.1, 2003, but that is not how it is being interpreted or inforced...

Oerdin: I think Rogan would have a better chance of getting in if he just says his name is Jose

[MikeH]

Yeah but you don't need a machine readable passport, just be part of a country that will be issuing them... that's the way I understood that anyway.

[SpencerH]

Thats the current rule that will be changed Oct 1/03 (or maybe 04) to require machine read passports or visa.

[MikeH]

It doesn't say that on the official site.

It says it requires that the government of the country must start to issue machine readable passports by that date.

[MikeH]

BTW. How can Rogan Josh have a non-machine readable passport if we started issuing them in the '80s?

They scanned my passport at LAX now I think about it.

[Rogan Josh]

Originally posted by MikeH
BTW. How can Rogan Josh have a non-machine readable passport if we started issuing them in the '80s?

It is because my passport was issued by an embassy abroad, not by the UK passport agency. My old passport was machine readable but it expired last year. The embassy hadn't the equipment to make machine readable passports but declined to tell me, which is why I didn't notice until this week.

I am rather pissed off about it because now I have to pay an extra $60 to get a machine readable one. (Even more annoying - I got my passport in April and in May they got the equipment to make machine readable ones.)