Visas for the US

Mallinhead1

Can anyone tell me do i need to apply for a Visa to visit the US. Going over for a holiday in may. Do I need to apply to the embessey or anything

Tony255

how long is the holiday for, if it is for something like two weeks then you do not need a visa

Nightwish

You don't need a visa for up to 90 days.

ScouseMouse

If you have no criminal convictions then you fill out a visa waiver form in Dublin Airport, (this gives you upto 90 days to visit, NOT WORK) immigration checks it, and you get on the plane. If your name comes up on the computer for serious crimes you dont even get on the plane.

In the case of convictions, you have to go to the embassy and get a visa. How hard they are to get I dont know. US immigration have an office in Dublin airport, so when you clear immigration in dublin you bypass it at the other side. This is only relevant if you are flying direct from Dublin i.e not going to london or elsewhere first.

Enjoy your trip. I always do.

Ruu_Old

Nightwish wrote:

You don't need a visa for up to 90 days.

Yep 90 days under the visa waiver program , make sure your passport is machine readable also like this(nearly all are at this stage). If you are flying direct from Dublin to the US, you will pass through immigration in Dublin. If you are going through London or elsewhere (I think), you will pass through immigration at the port of entry in the US. Good luck. There is a Travel/Holidays forum located under Rec->Travel for future reference.

caffrey

you go through immigration in dublin??
since when has this been the case, i had to go through immigration in the US everytime i have been there including 3 times in the last ~2 years. Is this new? One of the times i went through immigration in shannon too!!

leeroybrown

caffrey wrote:

you go through immigration in dublin??
since when has this been the case, i had to go through immigration in the US everytime i have been there including 3 times in the last ~2 years. Is this new? One of the times i went through immigration in shannon too!!

US Immigration (DHS) have a set of security desks in where they check the tickets, passports, VWP form, ask you a few questions and go through the electronic fingerprint/photograph procedure.

ScouseMouse

When you go to pier B - I think it is, you go down some steps to the lower level. US immigration have about 8 booths down there where they take your inkless finger print and digital photo while they check your name. If all is ok, you go through and get on the plane. I experienced this in Nov 2005 and again in Nov 2006. Aer fungus direct to JFK and the latter Continental direct to Newark. When you land stateside, an attendant walks you past immigration as you are already cleared. It is soooooooo handy.

You may recall that fella Frankie McBrearty from Donegal who was cleared on appeal in the courts for serious assault a few years ago. He decided to take a family holiday and was stopped as his name flashed up on the computers. That was in Dublin, he didnt even get to the plane. He was on the news going mad as he was proven innocent but it had not filtered through to the yanks. Someone high up had to make a call and he flew out a couple of days later. Do a google on it.

Wez

Where would you go to apply for a visa? Who'd be the first person to contact and where would it go from there kinda?

Ruu_Old

Depends what you want it for, there are a number of different categories. The US Embassy in Ballsbridge is the place to start. It can be an incredibly long and expensive procedure also. If you are a student then some go for a few months on the J1 visa. As long as you are just going over for less than 90 days as mentioned, no visa is required.

Puck

If it's just a holiday (like 2 - 3 weeks or something) and you have no criminal convictions you'll be given a green slip of paper to fill out along with your boarding pass after you check your luggage. I think there might be another blue and white slip of paper too but that's it. Some places give you the forms on the plane though.

nesf

Moved to Travel.

ScouseMouse

Just a final note (for me anyway) If you conviction is old, like 15 years ago, its probably not on the system so you may be ok. I know someone who got into serious trouble back in 1988 or so, and it does not show up on the systems. He is settled now and very respectable and does the states every once in a while. The guards are so busy inputting new stuff, the old archives are buried somewhere gathering dust.

big_moe

Ruu wrote:

As long as you are just going over for less than 90 days as mentioned, no visa is required.

im a student and im thinking of going over next summer to work.. would i be ok as it would be for less than 90 days?? or is a J1 still required??

if i have missed a thread that covers this already, sorry!

cheers
moe

xebec

big_moe wrote:

im a student and im thinking of going over next summer to work.. would i be ok as it would be for less than 90 days?? or is a J1 still required??

If you are planning to work you will need a J1 visa. The Visa Waiver program allows you to visit the States only, not work there.