The people on shopping trips come mostly from VWP (visa waiver programme) countries

The US issue 10-year visas, but not to everyone, and the fee is by no means reciprocal.

-- Mike

Most of the people who have the means do get those visas.

And some who don't.... I've worked with people who entered on those visas and worked here.

"Most" leaves plenty of room for exceptions -- and I'm not even sure it's most given that even people with the means from some countries are rather often declined the first time, thus having to go through the process all over again hoping they don't get the dreaded double decline that will be a problem for several years.

Also, what good is a 10-year visa when the passports are not valid for 10-years and DHS writes on the valid visa in the expired passport that a new visa must be issued and/or affixed to the new passport before next entry? The whole expensive process all over again. :eek:

RRGG do you have a link to this visa waiver plan?
Thanks in advance

You obviously have never scheduled a visa appointment. If it were only that simple....

Not familiar with procedures in the UK, but in other countries, they only schedule appointments 4-6 weeks in advance. If you can't find a suitable time, you need to call back. Also, AFAIK only in Canada can you do this online, and you pay the appointment schedule fee only after you find a suitable time. In other countries you need to keep calling the 1-900 type number back until you find a time. Also, individual consulates post their slots irregularly and randomly, so there is NO pattern to when you could call to get a "good slot".... sigh...

Brush up on the Brazil Visa thread. :) It's not 2003 any more. :(

The change will use visa data from the fiscal year ending last October. I'm not sure but I believe eligibility is re-evaluated by mid-year, so this is why I *guessed* that there might be a change by late 2008.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1169f782-4...nclick_check=1
New eligibility rules included in the bill will allow visitors from 12 more countries – including South Korea, Taiwan, Brazil, Argentina, Greece and the Czech Republic – to enter the US without a visa.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1185...googlenews_wsj
The program allows nationals of designated countries to enter the U.S. for up to 90 days without applying for a visa before leaving home. Twenty-seven countries currently participate, including most of Western Europe, Australia and Japan. Now citizens of 12 more will be able to apply immediately, and it will be easier for other countries to join in the future.... Newly eligible countries are Argentina, Brazil, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Israel, Malta, Slovakia, South Korea, Taiwan and Uruguay.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1.ENR:

I don't know what to think about this

I for instance got turned down on one renewal, the woman simply was in a bad mood, in 'round 2' I simply tripled the amount of paperwork I brought in the first time, the guy gave me the '... is all that', he didnt even look at ANYTHING!

are you positive about that entry? I was 100% certain until now that the visa remains valid and you simply travel with two passports (the one where the valid visa is and the passport that is still valid)

in addition I might be naive but the US/ Canada or any other similar country are most likely not even remotely concerned about losing a few thousand tourists due to these measures. the economic impact is probably neglible, it sucks but for me (coming from a country that does need a visa) I got used to these sort of things long long ago

I am positive that if they make the entry I mentioned -- that is if they write down on your visa/visa page that your visa will not be accepted next time without a transfer or new issuance -- then the normally accepted standard of traveling with the new passport and the expired passport with the valid visa will not work.

You're probably right, but the last article I read specifically mentioned tourists from Brazil.

Controlling for Mexico, mee's definitely correct as VWP entrants are way more than half of all foreign citizens arriving in the US.

Tourists from Brazil, despite the visa headaches, are a a large slice of the non-VWP country incoming foreign tourists -- they have in recent decades been the largest source of foreign tourists to the US of any non-VWP country besides Mexico.

Given both: a) that the US dollar has become the Bush peso and the Brazilian currency has strengthened considerably against the dollar; and b) that something like 99+% of Brazilians who pass financial worthiness tests to get a visa and get it are either from a city or own accomodations in a city with a US consulate or embassy, it is no wonder that Brazilian tourist numbers have held up reasonably well.

Uh Oh...is this accurate? I'll be in that situation in 2009...visa expires in 2014and I visit a friend in the US a few times a year. I thought that it was just a matter of travelling with the old passport with the valid visa. Not looking forward to an added hassle :(

Yes, I have, and it is that simple. You do not need to call and ask what paperwork you need. All that info is available online. You do need 1 (one) call in order to schedule an appointment, but 1 call should suffice. You don't NEED to call back over and over again.

That is simply not true! Here are some official sources:
1. From http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/tem...ypes_1262.html :
Unless previously canceled, a visa is valid until its expiration date. Therefore, if the traveler has a valid U.S. visa in an expired passport, do not remove the visa page from the expired passport. You may use it along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the United States.

2. From the US Embassy Germany site (http://germany.usembassy.gov/germany...t_expired.html)
If your passport containing a still valid visa has expired, you may travel with two passports - your expired passport containing the valid U.S. visa and your unexpired passport.

Also, my mother has traveled to the US with a 10-year visa on her old passport 9 times and NEVER had an issue. The last time was a month ago.


You have nothing to worry about. Check the sources above.

Then it obviously varies from country to country. It is not that simple everywhere.