Races in America - New travel requirements - Ultra / Adventure racing

Bionic Ironwolf pirate

pirate

12/01/2009 at 11:29

Our upper management today sent us information on new travel requirements to the U.S. The Homeland Security people are now requiring from today that anyone from VISA-exempt countries such as the Ireland, Germany and the U.K. must pre-register their passport details on a secure website prior to travel to the U.S. if going for business or personal trips of less than 90 days.They say the entry will remain current for 2 years.

Any forumites planning on racing in the good ol' US of A might want to take a look at the website.

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov

D74

12/01/2009 at 11:31

Should reduce the delays at immigration and hopefully in the long term remove the need for that daft green form.

"Are you travelling here to bomb us"

"Do you intend to start a revolution"

"Have you attempted to smuggle in any cheese"

smiley lady (M.)

12/01/2009 at 11:38

This has been available since November and I've not noticed any reduction in waiting times at Immigration. Luckily we do immigration in Ireland when leaving from here. It's a real pain to do when you're tired at the other end of the flight.

D74

12/01/2009 at 11:40

But until now the i-94 was still valid. In the future then the checks have largely been done before take-off, so it should just be a case of fingerprint, picture, and check that the passport matches the person infront.

12/01/2009 at 13:08

I understand that the I-94 (green form) is now gone away..and so you have no choice but to complete the online form 72 hours before you go...they say, that if you have not completed it, they will either detain you, or send you straight back home!

The on line form takes about 4 minutes to do, and the approval takes seconds..assuming you haven't ticked the "yes I am a terrorist" box!..then lasts 2 years...just need to update it if you have a different US address each time.

I doubt it wil speed up immigration a huge amount..as they will still have to find your visa approval on their system, whilst you stand there.

D74

12/01/2009 at 13:32

But they don't need to read the form to see if you've ticked the 'Bomb Them All, Infedels' box. Having said that, I do accept there is the chance they'll use the time to extract some new biometric data in the next couple of years.

smiley lady (M.)

12/01/2009 at 15:50

In December they took all 10 finger prints. I only remember doign 2 up until then.

D74

12/01/2009 at 16:01

Agree, was only one on each hand before (I assume on the assumption that terrorists all have a hook on one hand and so they needed to do one from each to be sure

)

smiley lady (M.)

12/01/2009 at 16:07

Zuppy took a lawyer with him to USA last time he went and it didn't do him any good, they still locked him up for hours while the lawyer (not looking at anyone candy!!) went out of a fag!

lunacy

12/01/2009 at 16:10

blimey it'll take even longer next month, then, what with my 12 fingers and all....

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