Danger
Feb 21st 2014, 7:12 pm
#16
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Perth,Australia
Posts: 126
Re: Danger
I'm pretty sure that your wife will find it more advantageous to use her Aussie passport if she is transiting through Miami. I'm assuming that your kids have British passports? If so, they can all go through the US by using the ESTA visa-waivers. (I don't know if Venezuela is like the US; eg. US citizens have to leave and enter the US on their American passports even if they are dual nationals. Are their ESTA's up to date or have they expired?
Otherwise your wife will need to apply for a Transit 'C' visa in her Venezuelan passport.
http://travel.state.gov/content/visa...r/transit.html
It seems crazy to need a visa or visa waiver to transit through an airport in the US (even if it's the same terminal!) but they do this in the UK and other countries too. Perhaps it's in case they decide not to take their connecting flight or the onward connection is cancelled due to weather or mechanical delays etc. and can't be rescheduled quickly.
I was at a British Airways desk at Newark airport, New Jersey a few years ago. A family was checking in and flying with BA to Cyprus and had their connecting flight via the UK. They were passport holders of Guyana....however they didn't have transfer visas and were denied boarding! They were told that they'd have to go to the British Consulate in NYC to apply for visas....understandably they were hopping mad
Tbh if I were you I'd get the family out imminently; they must be very frightened. If their AA flight to Miami can't be rescheduled for the next few days, I'd get them out to Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao and then see if they can get on a flight after some R&R to Puerto Rico or Miami or even Amsterdam on KLM.
Good luck to your family
Otherwise your wife will need to apply for a Transit 'C' visa in her Venezuelan passport.
http://travel.state.gov/content/visa...r/transit.html
It seems crazy to need a visa or visa waiver to transit through an airport in the US (even if it's the same terminal!) but they do this in the UK and other countries too. Perhaps it's in case they decide not to take their connecting flight or the onward connection is cancelled due to weather or mechanical delays etc. and can't be rescheduled quickly.
I was at a British Airways desk at Newark airport, New Jersey a few years ago. A family was checking in and flying with BA to Cyprus and had their connecting flight via the UK. They were passport holders of Guyana....however they didn't have transfer visas and were denied boarding! They were told that they'd have to go to the British Consulate in NYC to apply for visas....understandably they were hopping mad
Tbh if I were you I'd get the family out imminently; they must be very frightened. If their AA flight to Miami can't be rescheduled for the next few days, I'd get them out to Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao and then see if they can get on a flight after some R&R to Puerto Rico or Miami or even Amsterdam on KLM.
Good luck to your family
Yes my kids have British passports. When we all arrived via Miami originally yes we had ESTA visas but not on the return,so yes we would need to get up to date ones.we did travel on our Oz passports.It does seem crazy when you have an onward flight maybe for the reasons you say.
She is trying to re-schedule flights now..but I know she will want to go back to Caracas to say goodbye to her family.trying to push her to get to Miami where I can meet her and we can come back together..no doubt we will have trouble on returning as she has no onward flight.
If Miami is a no go then yes we will probably meet in Aruba and see what happens from there.
Thanks for the luck appreciated once again
Feb 22nd 2014, 4:04 pm
#17
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Finally moving!
Posts: 1,236
Re: Danger
Ecuador, especially Cuenca, would be a safe and easy and not too expensive place to park your wife and kids for three months while you figure out the next step. Lots of English speaking expats there. They might even want to stay.
Feb 22nd 2014, 11:06 pm
#18
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2012
Location: Qc, Canada
Posts: 3,787
Re: Danger
The Canadian Embassy in Venezuela can provide "limited"
consular assistance to Australians, or the Australian Embassy in Chile.
I'm not sure I grasp all the nuances of the situation, but as I understand it : your wife & children have flights booked to the UK via Miami? It's the lack of onward/return flights from the UK that may be a problem? If so, given the sister in Malta, can you book flights UK - Malta as a back up?
Crossing my fingers & sending good vibes to all of you.
SB
consular assistance to Australians, or the Australian Embassy in Chile.
I'm not sure I grasp all the nuances of the situation, but as I understand it : your wife & children have flights booked to the UK via Miami? It's the lack of onward/return flights from the UK that may be a problem? If so, given the sister in Malta, can you book flights UK - Malta as a back up?
Crossing my fingers & sending good vibes to all of you.
SB
Feb 23rd 2014, 6:39 pm
#19
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,294
Re: Danger
Can anyone tell me who or which office I need to speak to ASAP as my wife and british kids are in fear of their lives in Venezuela..
We are waiting to apply to get them back to the UK,but now I cannot wait anymore very bad thing are happening over their.
Any advise appreciated.
We are waiting to apply to get them back to the UK,but now I cannot wait anymore very bad thing are happening over their.
Any advise appreciated.
Australians in Venezuela who need help, can go to the Canadian Embassy (as said above).
Last edited by formula; Feb 23rd 2014 at 6:47 pm.
