bramallblade

My first post in here in a while. I've been settled in Canada now for over 7 months - crazy how time flies.

My question is regarding an ESTA for US travel. As I understand it, I shouldn't need one being a UK citizen (a visa waived country) and I will be travelling to the USA by land.

Can anyone confirm this though for me please, just to put my mind at rest? Cheers.

Jerseygirl

If you were flying into the US as a Brit you would need ESTA. That does not apply if you are entering by road. You will be required to get an I94 at the border...costs a few dollars.

BTW I take it from your username you are from Sheffield...a Sheffield United supporter.

bramallblade

Thanks for the reply. An I94?

And yes I am, at the moment, a very happy Blade.

Jerseygirl

Britain is a visa waiver country...the I94 is the visa waiver. It's a small green form which US Immigration will staple to your UK Passport. When you leave the US make sure Canadian Immigration remove it. It shows US authorities that you have left the US is a timely manner and not overstayed.

bramallblade

Thanks for the advice! I'm planning on travelling to the USA three times over the next 12 months.

Vulcanoid

Your I94-W will be valid for 3 months. If the second trip is within then, you can keep it, and not have to go inside the hut the second time. Otherwise, you should make sure the Canadians take it on return (or go down to an airport & return it, or mail it back, before time's out).

Jerseygirl

It is actually valid for 90 days.

enak

If you can spare a few dollars, get the ESTA anyway. It is quicker to get the I94W at the border if you have an ESTA.
Basically when you get to the desk in secondary you tell them you have an ESTA and they grab the details from the computer system and print you a white form rather than going through the slower process of talking through the questions or doing the green I94 form.
Ironically, if you weren't from a a visa-waiver country, you could complete your I94 online nowadays, so being British has disadvantages at the land-border :-(

bramallblade

Huh? Funny how these things tend to work out. Thanks for the tip. I will probably end up getting an ESTA anyway to be honest. My paranoid self won't be able to handle it otherwise!

I'll be travelling to Boston for the Easter weekend and then will return for a family vacation to South Carolina two weeks after that so i'll keep the I94 in my passport for that. Then i'm driving the west coast for a month at the end of June so i'll need a new one then.

Engineer_abroad

+1 get an ESTA and pay for your I94-w in advance of arriving at the border. Note there can be a long wait inside (my last trip down at Peace Arch took over an hour inside secondary, it was labour day weekend though).

I still do not understand why land borders are treated differently to both air and sea borders in this regard. Why is an ESTA ok for arriving by ship or plan but you need a whole separate document for land.

If the oversized cheeto wants to start with government waste here is a prime example of two systems doing the same thing.

benbb

When I went through the land border the immigration official asked me if I had filled out an ESTA beforehand. I said yes and perhaps that made things easier as mentioned above. Be prepared though as the guy at the booth simply looked at my passport and put it in an air tube which he then appeared to discard down a hole. He told me to park and go into the building, which we did, but it was a bit disconcerting to be parted from my passport for a while.

On return the Canadian official didn't take the form back and I forgot to mail it. I haven't been back since but sure I will visit eventually - has anyone tried going back after they didn't return their form?

Former Lancastrian

Lots of people have just make sure you either legally return it or illegally set fire to it. DO NOT leave in your passport.

If you failed to turn in your I-94 Departure Record, please send it, along with any documentation that proves you left the United States. As of November 1, 2014, the address is:
Coleman Data Solutions
Box 7965
Akron, OH 44306
Attn: NIDPS (I-94)
USA
(If using U.S. Postal Service)

OR
Coleman Data Solutions
3043 Sanitarium Road, Suite 2
Akron, OH 44312
Attn: NIDPS (I-94)
(If using FedEx or UPS)

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...bVMyNnVEc24%3D

benbb

Thanks - yeah I took it out my passport and put it in an envelope and was going to send it but didn't get round to it before I left the country - not sure where it is now though.

Former Lancastrian

Remember you burnt it but if asked mailed it in

bramallblade

Hi guys. So it is time for me to get my ESTA. However, I am very confused at the US point of contact information section. I am planning to visit the States 3 times in the next 6 months.

So, do I put in this section the first place I am staying on trip 1? I really don't get it. Help.