I just put 'in transit' on the 'green' visa-waiver. But I, for sure, take care, to hand over the paper-slip just before boarding to the airline's personnel (at the gate) for hassle free reenterings later.

HNL does have a transit area but sometime since 1996, I.N.S. agents inspect the documents of transiting pax (even those not leaving the airside sterile area) as they deplane.

Claudia,

You may if you do a lot of traveling want to invest the time to try to get a US Visa.

The reason I say this is due to the fact that many people I know are issued with 10 yr multiple entry visas by the US.

Canada is much easier to get a visa, but usually restricts it to a single entry!

It's a shame you need a visa, but coming from a country that has seen a lot of abuse with our refugee system I hope you can understand the reasons behind it.

Right now we are battling a lot of illegals from Asia, India, and Eastern Europe. 2 yrs ago a bunch of Czech Gypsies came (after a false T.V. Report) to Toronto and demanded their free homes, cars and money. After 1-2 weeks (and not receiving any free hand outs) they decided things wern't so bad back home and decided to go back!

Hi Canadian

thank you once again for your sensible advice. I know ALL about US and Canada visa applications, believe me, and although the word 'racism' easily comes to mind, that's the way it is, and it's fine with me.

It's just that I don't feel welcome in a place where I have to *beg* for permission to visit. Especially when there are so many friendlier and, in my opinion, more attractive countries in the world.

(still love Vancouver, though!)

cheers

c.

I share your same philosophy in the countries I visit.

Fortunatly I have both a CDN. and U.K. Passoprt so I can usually avoid the Visa problem.

However I refuse to go to countries like Jamaica which are very hostile towards tourists, or countries like Venezuela which are both Dangerious, overpriced, and inefficient in doing anything.

I love Colombia, Argentina, Mexico and Nicaragua for the wormth, and friendliness of the people!

I have gone to Brazil twice but frankly was disapointed. I found prices very high, and service very low. Especially in Sao Paulo and Rio. I did enjoy Recife, and Bahia though!

Claudia I was looking at the Star RTW price chart and notice the originating in S. Africa is less than half of a U.S. starting.

Then I decided to investigate and came up with this routing.

JNB-Sao Paulo-MEX-LAX (Transit W/O Visa)
LAX-Singapore/BKK-Singapore-JNB.

.....except that JNB- Sao Paolo is a South African Airways flight that Varig codeshares on so is unavailable on the STAR RTW tickets.
And if you are going to transit LAX why not just fly Varig or ANA from Sao Paolo to Tokyo with one flight number/coupon

RTW on OneWorld that bypasses North America.

London - Santiago BA
SCL - Papeete Lan Chile
Papeete - Sydney Qantas
And so on!

*Alliance is problematic!

QANTAS no longer fly PPT-SYD they code-share on Air Tahiti Nui planes. So you either swim from PPT to Hawaii or fly QF from Buenos Aires to AKL or SYD.

Are you sure that code shares are not allowed on RTW Fares?

Are you sure that code shares are not allowed on RTW Fares?

Some codeshares are with *A some not, one of which is the SA --> Brazil flights with SAA.

Claudia,

Canadian transit visas are free, and provided that you have travelled at least once outside your country of residence, chances are they will be issued on demand. The High Commission at London issues them same day.

As for using the term "begging," that is very inflammatory term. While I was in charge of the non-immigrant section at the New York visa office, I considered Brazilians to be among the lowest risk profiles. The only time I can recall refusing a visa application from a Brazilian was a case of a person who had overstayed her U.S. admission, and thus could not return to the US due to paragraph 222(g) of their legistlation.

The visa office in Sao Paulo is Canada's second largest non-immigrant post (after Taipei), and handles in excess of 50,000 applications a year (with only two Canadian officers). Smiling service may be a bit threadbare, but the decisions are produced in very expiditious fashion.

Canada has tried on a couple of occasions to introduce visa exemptions in South America--(e.g. Venezuela in 1992, Chile in 1995) each time the exemption was followed by excessive numbers of refugee claims at the port of entry. Until conditions in Brazil improve to the extent that economic migrants are not making large numbers of refugee claims at the border, the likelihood of easing the visa restriction is pretty much nil.

Transit visas are not required at YVR for citizens of Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand (who ordinarily require transit visas). This exemption will likely extend to other countries as direct air services with YVR develop.

Canadian: Bear in mind that the applicant makes the decision about whether to apply for a single entry or multiple entry visa (the fee is different--$75 CAD single, $150 multi). It is very rare for a visa officer to issue only a single entry on an application for multiple entry. If the traveller presents a risk, they ought not to be visa'd at all, if they are bona fide visitors, there would not, ordinarily be an impediment to a multiple entry. However, people with limited international travel records are better advised to apply only for a single entry on their first application.

AC*SE,

I am sorry if I offended you by using the word 'begging' -- although that's exactly how I feel when I have to apply for American or Canadian visas. And it's not that I mind complicated visa application procedures (e.g., Russia or certain parts of Africa). I simply don't like the idea of being regarded as a potential refugee.

However, this discussion was not about how I feel, but about how to avoid US/Canada in my rtw, and I reckon I am the only one to blame for letting the subject change the way it did.

Thank you for the information about same-day applications in London anyway -- I might give it a try.

C.

bernie, I checked with my TA about the new flight applications for rtw ex LHR on *A. The fare quote says that
GRU-JNB is RG 7390, JNB-GRU is RG 7391. The problem is still to cross the Pacific without transiting/connecting in the US or Canada.