franfluff

if i book flights from UK to Canada but have a change over in Chicago will i need a visa?

pdarwin

I would think if you don't go outside the secure area of the airport, then it shouldn't be a requirement.

Former Lancastrian

Yes you will need to apply for the ESTA and put in transit on the application.

Do nationals or citizens of countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program require travel authorization if they are only transiting the United States in route to another country?
Eligible nationals or citizens of countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program require either a travel authorization or a visa to transit the United States. If a traveler is only planning to transit through the United States en route to another country, when he or she completes the travel authorization application in ESTA, the traveler should enter the words "In Transit" and his or her final destination location in the address lines in the Address While In The United States field on the application.

Zoe Bell

The advice about ESTA assumes you have a passport from a country that is eligible for the scheme.
Your use of the term "visa" might suggest you are not holding a british passsport.

The basic premise is that the US treats people in transit as if they were attempting entry so you need whatever your passport requires, either ESTA or the approaprite visa (B2?)

franfluff

Im hold a Dutch passport and my hubby a British one (and babygirl british too) x

Former Lancastrian

ESTA required for all.

izzi81

The esta lasts for a few years doesn't it... Is there any way to know whether one I got a couple of years ago is still valid?

Zoe Bell

it is two years I believe

you should be able to go to the website and plug in your details.

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

i think there is a help file as well

chiefmissile

What about when you get Canadian PR (Brit) and you want to go shopping down in the US, would you still need an ESTA?

Regards

Andrew

Former Lancastrian

If flying in then Yes. If driving then you apply for the I94 waiver and pay $6.
Waiver is good for 90 days. There has been talk of them accepting the ESTA at land borders as they are valid for 2 years. Need to confirm that with USCBP.

chiefmissile

Thanks, your a star and a busy one at that, always reading your posts where ever I go on this forum, well done, no "I" in your team. That's good to know, always wondered why people were going on about $6 to enter US, last year we drove down to Fargo, used our ESTA. If we don't have PR by the time we land in Aug, we will have to do a border run to activate our COPR.......when we get it, so our ESTA will still be valid from last year.

As an ex-military man, could I apply to join CBSA after one year as PR? Interested to know your background and how you got into CBSA, I can pm you if you prefer?


Regards

Andrew

Former Lancastrian

As soon as you get PR you could apply immediately for CBSA though priority is usually given to Canadian citizens. I got hired as a PR but that was almost 24 years ago. Only drawback to joining today is you will have to work until you are 65 and they can send you anywhere in Canada. Lots of applicants from the Toronto area are now discovering what rural Saskatchewan is like :lol
:http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/job-emplo.../menu-eng.html

chiefmissile

Thanks, bit like joining the RCMP then, I have just done 27 years of going where I am told to go, so don't fancy all that again Thought about the city police but I think I am to old now (44) they are looking to invest in younger applicants. Quite fancy being a sheriff?

Thanks again

Andrew

ninaDGBCA

Even if your ESTA is still valid you'll still need to pay $6 per person. Only you don't need to fill in the info. Having said that we have valid ESTAs and still needed to fill in the I94 additionally to paying the $6. Only time you don't pay is within 30 days from returning from the States via plane and ESTA the US border officers told us.

chiefmissile

Hi, thanks for your comment. When we travelled by car last summer across the border we did not have to pay the $6 and we returned back to Canada 3 days later. Is the $6 per person just if you are turning round and coming straight back into Canada?

Regards

Andrew