S Folinsky

Its a joke to be read with a smile. When in court I will sometimes greet my learned opposition with "so, how are things with the Dark Forces today?" and smile, and they smile also. There is such a thing as a friendly insult.

Now, I will agree that I don't like it when I hear colleagues refer to "la puta migra."

johnnybrown532

I smile when i read it.

Zez

Sorry for not coming back to this! He can't remember if he had a visa or if there was some kind of visa waiver program that he applied for when he came and I have no idea what the process was 22 years ago. All he knows is that he did whatever was necessary at the time (he's a stickler for that kind of thing) and was only here 2 weeks so no overstay. I can attest to it only being 2 weeks as I remember it! I figured it would be something like not having been marked as left. May try asking at the redress thing as he'd like to know. Thank you all

S Folinsky

Except for the period of October 23, 1997 to November 26, 1997, the visa waiver program [or equivalent] has been continuously in existence since 1987. ESTA came to be required in 2010 if memory serves me correct.

Zoe Bell

Okay enquiring minds want to know what happened in October November 1997 ,

henryh

I believe that was the period between the end of the Visa Waiver Pilot Program and the start of the permanent Visa Waiver Program. I'm not sure whether they actually stopped admitting travelers without a visa in that interval.

S Folinsky

Some Congessional bickering caused a temporary "sunset" of the pilot program. It was assumed it would be reinstated, so former INS waived the visa requirements - it was actually a non VW admission. I was involved recently in a case where we flipped that one at ICE when they tried to do a summary VW removal.

FlyingDutchman6666

If my (hazy) memory serves me right, here was a period in the late 90s where all VWP travellers were "paroled" as opposed to admitted? I still have an old passport with such a paroled stamp.

Zoe Bell

Interesting stuff. Thanks for indulging my curiosity

Pulaski

"Congressional bickering", imagine that. ..... and over a matter of immigration!

Zoe Bell

I know huh?
Whoda thunk it?/