Mmked

Hi everyone,

I have what I think is a pretty simple question that I may already know
the answer to but I want to confirm in order to be on the safe side. I
am a US citizen traveling to the UK in October. I understand that I do
not need a visa to enter the UK and all I need to do is show my passport
to the immigration officials at the port of entry in the UK (right?).
However, is there anything else I should be aware of? I know that
visitors under the Visa Waiver Program have to pay US$6.00 upon entering
the US. Will I have to pay anything upon entering the UK? If so, do I
need to pay it in British pounds? Anything else I should know? Thank
you very much for your help!

M.

Colin.

"MMKED" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    | Hi everyone,
    |
    | I have what I think is a pretty simple question that I may already know
    | the answer to but I want to confirm in order to be on the safe side. I
    | am a US citizen traveling to the UK in October. I understand that I do
    | not need a visa to enter the UK

this is partially true. you do not need to obtain a visa in _advance_.


    | and all I need to do is show my passport
    | to the immigration officials at the port of entry in the UK (right?).

right. he will stamp your passport with a visitors' visa. I cannot
remember how long they are valid for; I know that my US ones were for 30
days and my Canadian ones were for 6 months, so anywhere in between, I
should imagine.


    | However, is there anything else I should be aware of? I know that
    | visitors under the Visa Waiver Program have to pay US$6.00 upon entering
    | the US.

That's news to me. As a British citizen travelling with a British passport,
under the VWP which Britain is a part of, I have never once been asked for
any kind of payment upon landing on US soil. I have landed at New York,
Washington, Chicago and Columbus and it's been the same each time.


    | Will I have to pay anything upon entering the UK?

No. An American friend of mine came over recently and there were no
charges; he only had to get his passport stamped.


    | Anything else I should know?

British immigration officers are a hell of a lot more friendly than American
ones

Colin.

    | | I have what I think is a pretty simple question that I may already know
    | | the answer to but I want to confirm in order to be on the safe side. I
    | | am a US citizen traveling to the UK in October. I understand that I do
    | | not need a visa to enter the UK
    |
    | this is partially true. you do not need to obtain a visa in _advance_.

PS, don't take our word for it. While I do believe that what I said is 100%
correct, I would still recommend calling a British Embassy or Consulate in
the US and double-checking.

JAJ

For those arriving by air, the cost of the program is built into the ticket price.

If you had entered over the land frontier you would have had to pay.

As long as they don't think you're planning to work illegally or overstay the allowed period.

Jeremy

Mmked

Hi Colin,

Thanks for replying. Just in case you are wondering where I found the
information about the fee, I went to the US Department of State website:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvis...sa_waiver.html
Scroll down a little bit and you will see the following question: "Is there a
fee?". This link takes you further down on the page where they state there is a
"small filing fee" and provide a link to the USCIS website for more information
on the fee. If you link to the USCIS website and look for the I-94W, they list
a $6.00 fee. Now, they also list a $6.00 fee for the I-94, which I have never
heard of being charged before. Unless I misunderstood something, I don't know!
In any case, thanks again for your help! I'll be visiting a friend in the UK
for the first time and am very excited. I hope the weather cooperates.

M.


"colin." wrote:

    > | | I have what I think is a pretty simple question that I may already know
    > | | the answer to but I want to confirm in order to be on the safe side. I
    > | | am a US citizen traveling to the UK in October. I understand that I do
    > | | not need a visa to enter the UK
    > |
    > | this is partially true. you do not need to obtain a visa in _advance_.
    > PS, don't take our word for it. While I do believe that what I said is 100%
    > correct, I would still recommend calling a British Embassy or Consulate in
    > the US and double-checking.

Mmked

This website also mentions the fee:
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/visa/niv/vwp.htm
Maybe someone here can shed some light on this issue.

"colin." wrote:

    > | | I have what I think is a pretty simple question that I may already know
    > | | the answer to but I want to confirm in order to be on the safe side. I
    > | | am a US citizen traveling to the UK in October. I understand that I do
    > | | not need a visa to enter the UK
    > |
    > | this is partially true. you do not need to obtain a visa in _advance_.
    > PS, don't take our word for it. While I do believe that what I said is 100%
    > correct, I would still recommend calling a British Embassy or Consulate in
    > the US and double-checking.

Mmked

Thanks, Jeremy!



JAJ wrote:

    > Originally posted by Colin.
    > >
    > >
    > > That's news to me.
    > As a British citizen travelling with a British passport,
    > > under the VWP
    > which Britain is a part of, I have never once been asked for
    > > any kind
    > of payment upon landing on US soil. I have landed at New York,
    > >
    > Washington, Chicago and Columbus and it's been the same each time.
    > >
    > >
    > For those arriving by air, the cost of the program is built
    > into the ticket price.
    > If you had entered over the land frontier you
    > would have had to pay.
    > >
    > >
    > > British immigration officers are
    > a hell of a lot more friendly than American
    > > ones
    > As long
    > as they don't think you're planning to work illegally or overstay the
    > allowed period.
    > Jeremy
    > --
    > This is not intended to be legal or professional advice in any jurisdiction
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Eltoro

On Tue, 03 Aug 2004 02:18:04 GMT, MMKED wrote:

    > If you link to the USCIS website and look for the I-94W, they list
    > a $6.00 fee. Now, they also list a $6.00 fee for the I-94, which I have never
    > heard of being charged before. Unless I misunderstood something, I don't know!

This fee is collected by the airline and is included in your airline ticket
price. Look for "US inspection fee" on your ticket or itinerary - it will
be $6.00.

Stephen Farrow

MMKED wrote:
    >
    > Hi Colin,
    >
    > Thanks for replying. Just in case you are wondering where I found the
    > information about the fee, I went to the US Department of State website:
    > http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvis...sa_waiver.html
    > Scroll down a little bit and you will see the following question: "Is there a
    > fee?". This link takes you further down on the page where they state there is a
    > "small filing fee" and provide a link to the USCIS website for more information
    > on the fee. If you link to the USCIS website and look for the I-94W, they list
    > a $6.00 fee. Now, they also list a $6.00 fee for the I-94, which I have never
    > heard of being charged before. Unless I misunderstood something, I don't know!
    > In any case, thanks again for your help! I'll be visiting a friend in the UK
    > for the first time and am very excited. I hope the weather cooperates.

You only have to pay the fee if you enter the US on a visa waiver at a land border, as far as I know
(at least, I've only ever had to pay it at a land border).

--
Stephen


It's just like fun, only boring.

Sjoerd

"Stephen Farrow" <[email protected]> schreef in bericht
news:[email protected]...
    > MMKED wrote:
    > >
    > > Hi Colin,
    > >
    > > Thanks for replying. Just in case you are wondering where I found the
    > > information about the fee, I went to the US Department of State website:
    > > http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvis...sa_waiver.html
    > > Scroll down a little bit and you will see the following question: "Is
there a
    > > fee?". This link takes you further down on the page where they state
there is a
    > > "small filing fee" and provide a link to the USCIS website for more
information
    > > on the fee. If you link to the USCIS website and look for the I-94W,
they list
    > > a $6.00 fee. Now, they also list a $6.00 fee for the I-94, which I have
never
    > > heard of being charged before. Unless I misunderstood something, I
don't know!
    > > In any case, thanks again for your help! I'll be visiting a friend in
the UK
    > > for the first time and am very excited. I hope the weather cooperates.
    > You only have to pay the fee if you enter the US on a visa waiver at a
land border, as far as I know
    > (at least, I've only ever had to pay it at a land border).

When you enter by air, the fee is included in your ticket price. (part of
the taxes you pay)

Sjoerd

Roland Perry

In message <[email protected]>, at 01:08:01 on Tue, 3 Aug
2004, MMKED <[email protected]> remarked:
    >Hi everyone,
    >I have what I think is a pretty simple question that I may already know
    >the answer to but I want to confirm in order to be on the safe side. I
    >am a US citizen traveling to the UK in October. I understand that I do
    >not need a visa to enter the UK and all I need to do is show my passport
    >to the immigration officials at the port of entry in the UK (right?).

As long as you are a tourist or coming on a brief business trip, have a
return ticket (?) and some funds to support yourself while you stay. If
your purpose is immigration, study, work for a UK company, marriage, or
a very long stay, it may be more complex.

<http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind...ral_caseworkin
g/visitors.html?>

    >However, is there anything else I should be aware of? I know that
    >visitors under the Visa Waiver Program have to pay US$6.00 upon entering
    >the US.

Huh? First I've heard about that.

    > Will I have to pay anything upon entering the UK?

No.

    > If so, do I need to pay it in British pounds? Anything else I should
    >know? Thank you very much for your help!

At least 20 dollars worth of pounds would be useful to get you into
Central London by public transport, and so on. But you can normally get
money from cash dispensers on arrival (though I have sometimes found all
the ones at Gatwick North to be broken), and most train tickets can be
bought with a credit card.
--
Roland Perry

CPW

Yes, you're right, you don't need a visa to enter the UK on a US passport as a visitor. The immigration officer will stamp your passport giving you "leave to enter" the UK (that's the official term under UK immigration law) for a set period, almost always 6 months. This leave - i.e. permission - to enter will specifically exclude any right to work or study or to draw on public funds of any sort during your stay.

You should be able to demonstrate that you have a return (or onward) ticket and sufficient funds to maintain yourself during your stay. In practice, I don't imagine that most US visitors are asked to produce evidence of either of those things, but it would be wise to have such evidence handy.

There is no fee or tax to pay, either on arrival in the UK or on departure.

British immigration officers might be more friendly than US ones (as someone said above), but they're not going to stand any nonsense or be easily deceived or hoodwinked. However, they are likely to be polite, business-like and professional in their approach, and if your trip is a bona fide one as a visitor then you're very unlikely to have any problems with the immigration process.

Steve

eltoro <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>. ..
    > On Tue, 03 Aug 2004 02:18:04 GMT, MMKED wrote:
    >
    > > If you link to the USCIS website and look for the I-94W, they list
    > > a $6.00 fee. Now, they also list a $6.00 fee for the I-94, which I have never
    > > heard of being charged before. Unless I misunderstood something, I don't know!
    >
    > This fee is collected by the airline and is included in your airline ticket
    > price. Look for "US inspection fee" on your ticket or itinerary - it will
    > be $6.00.

If you don't use the visa waiwer, because you are a US citizen or have
a visa or whatever, can you get the $6 back or does the airline just
pocket it?

Tim

"Sjoerd" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Stephen Farrow" <[email protected]> schreef in bericht
    > news:[email protected]...
    > >
    > >
    > > MMKED wrote:
    > > >
    > > > Hi Colin,
    > > >
    > > > Thanks for replying. Just in case you are wondering where I found the
    > > > information about the fee, I went to the US Department of State
website:
    > > > http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvis...sa_waiver.html
    > > > Scroll down a little bit and you will see the following question: "Is
    > there a
    > > > fee?". This link takes you further down on the page where they state
    > there is a
    > > > "small filing fee" and provide a link to the USCIS website for more
    > information
    > > > on the fee. If you link to the USCIS website and look for the I-94W,
    > they list
    > > > a $6.00 fee. Now, they also list a $6.00 fee for the I-94, which I
have
    > never
    > > > heard of being charged before. Unless I misunderstood something, I
    > don't know!
    > > > In any case, thanks again for your help! I'll be visiting a friend in
    > the UK
    > > > for the first time and am very excited. I hope the weather
cooperates.
    > >
    > > You only have to pay the fee if you enter the US on a visa waiver at a
    > land border, as far as I know
    > > (at least, I've only ever had to pay it at a land border).
    > When you enter by air, the fee is included in your ticket price. (part of
    > the taxes you pay)

how do they know when they add the tax onto the end of the ticket
price that you have paid, whether you are

a) A US citizen who doesn't have to pay.
b) A traveller who will be using a visa waver and does have to pay
c) A national of a countra that isn't eligible for the waver program,
has shelled out a shed load of money for a full visa and therefore
will be rightly pee-ed off if someone adds a charge onto their travel
bill that they do not need to pay?

tim

Andrew

"colin." <colin###@###j0o.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > | | I have what I think is a pretty simple question that I may already
know
    > | | the answer to but I want to confirm in order to be on the safe side.
I
    > | | am a US citizen traveling to the UK in October. I understand that I
do
    > | | not need a visa to enter the UK
    > |
    > | this is partially true. you do not need to obtain a visa in _advance_.
    > PS, don't take our word for it. While I do believe that what I said is
100%
    > correct, I would still recommend calling a British Embassy or Consulate in
    > the US and double-checking.

Do they charge the call premium rate too?? ;-)


--
Andrew


"Look laddie, if you're in the penalty area and aren't quite sure what to do
with the ball, just stick it in the net and we'll discuss all your options
afterwards."