Visas

--- On Wed, 3/28/12, Gwyn Ryan <gwynhefar@gmail.com> wrote:

> So your current passport is from South Africa? Or UAE? 
> And they
> require an interview?  Interesting. 

I worked with a woman from South Africa a few years ago. She needed a special visa to go practically anywhere as she only had a South African passport. Jax -- what are the countries you don't need a visa for? I think she said the Netherlands and someplace else, but I don't remember. We were discussing it by the photocopier. She was taking a group of students to France and was photocopying the documentation she needed for her French visa.

My experience
> is pretty much
> limited to travelling from the US to places like France,
> Mexico,
> Dominican Republic, and Jamaica -- no interviews required
> for any of
> those, just a form to fill out and a stamp in the
> customs/immigration
> line when you get off the plane.

The US makes it difficult if you're not American to visit there. Even if you have a passport from one of the visa waiver countries, the requirements are a pain nowadays. And the stupid form they have to fill out. Do you intend to overthrow by force the government of the United States? Yes/No.

If Ian and I were to visit the US this summer (unfortunately, we can't afford it), I'd just need to renew my US passport that expired in December. I've not bothered renewing it because of money issues and the fact that I only need it to travel to the US, as I have a valid British passport. (I'll probably renew it this summer. I have to wait until I can go to London on a work day to get the picture taken anyway, as US passport photo size restrictions are very specific. They're different from UK passport photo sizes, so I can't just go to the usual self-serve machines everywhere that work for passport photos here. The nearest authorised place to me that does the US style photos is in London, by the US Embassy, and they're both only open Monday-Friday.)

But Ian would have to fill out an on-line form in advance stating his intention to travel to the US -- or he's not allowed in the country.

Of course, he has to be fingerprinted and photographed as well. I don't.

We have a friend who couldn't use the visa waiver programme because he has a drink driving conviction from years and years ago. He doesn't even drive any longer nor does he drink alcohol, but due to that conviction, the US considers him a felon. To visit the US, he'd have to apply for a special visa. He and his wife gave up on their planned US holiday and went elsewhere instead.

Ellen