Transiting the USA - British National

[Tonic Please]

Hi all. Can't easily find this info online suprisingly.

I am flying with AA from LHR to Buenos Aires. I am a British citizen and will be visiting there for 4 weeks.

I called AA yesterday to ask about the Passport issues, and she said there would be no problem since I'm in the transit zone for the connection flight (both with AA all the way round and back again).

I learnt, after, about the new pin passport from Oct. 06. I don't have this but one needs one to enter the USA. I am not "entering", but I don't want to get caught out by silly rules for transit passengers.

Any clarification would be most appreciated to make me comfortable booking this flight.

I read here: http://www.immihelp.com/visas/transitvisa/c1visa.html that I do not need one because I am English (british :yuk: ) but I want to be absolutely utterly certain that I will not be sent back home because I am not carrying this, even though my flight is passing through for 3 hours. Wikipedia had an article on it, and it was more worrying than this link seems to make out.

Thanks in advance.

[intortola]

I transit the US often, am also a British citizen. My passport does not have a machine readable bar code so i have a visa. If you have a British passport with a machine readable passport you enter under the visa waiver programme, hope this helps.

[Hand Solo]

I'm no expert but I think you need a computer readable passport. If your UK passport has a picture of you on the inside back cover and lots of numbers and letters in a couple of lines along the bottom that should be the one. As far as I know even if you are just transiting the USA you will have to clear immigration on arrival.

[Tonic Please]

I found this on the USA embassy website in London:

Transit under the Visa Waiver Program
Travelers who qualify for visa free travel under the Visa Waiver Program are eligible to transit the United States. Application for entry is made on the arrival/departure form I-94W provided by the airline or shipping company. If transiting the United States to a destination in Canada, Mexico or the adjacent islands, the traveler may re-enter the United States on the return journey using any mode of transport, as long as the total visit, including both periods of time spent in transit and in Canada, Mexico or the adjacent islands, does not exceed 90 days. If transiting to a destination outside of Canada, Mexico, or the adjacent islands, the return journey must be on a participating carrier, but need not be within 90 days, as the traveler will be required to make a new application for admission and therefore, required to complete a new arrival/departure form, I-94W. Travelers transiting the United States to take up residence in Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or the Caribbean Islands must be legal permanent residents of these areas.



I assume that means that, although I don't have a CHIP passport, upon flying, I will complete a form stating I am going on to Argentina, and when I arrive at the border, a guy will interogate me a little, and since I can prove that I'm going to Argentina (tickets/apartment rental email etc), I should be allowed through?

Further comments please!

[intortola]

Thats correct, you complete the visa waiver form and the customs declaration that AA will give you, instructions on how to complete are very clear in the American Way in flight magazine. You will have no trouble, its standard procedure to transit, i do it in Miami monthly.

[Tonic Please]

I trust your words. I just know what the American's are like with their rules at the airports, and being sent home would be an utter disaster to the purpose of my travels.

Thanks for your input.

[intortola]

you will be fine, safe trip

[derekl]

Tonic Please:

because I am English (british :yuk: ) but I want to be absolutely utterly certain that I will not be sent back home

When filling up your I-94W, remember your legal nationality is UK. Don't try that "English" stuff on there, you'll get sent to the back of the immigration line to try again.

Speaking as a Scot, I have no problem with being, like you, a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

[groundhand]

Tonic

Another tip

When you arrive in the US you have to 'enter' the US even if in transit; they have no airside transit facilities at thier airports.
When completing your visa waiver there is a section asking for your address in the US.
As you are in transit you do not have one.
Make sure you write 'in transit to...' in this section otherwise you will be questioned about your US address and why you have not completed this section.

GH

[Tonic Please]

Ok thanks for the tip. The flight is booked now. I have the machne readable passport, and having read everything, and called AA two times, and the info on here, I feel comfortable that I will be ok.

:bored:

[Final 3 Greens]

Speaking as a Scot, I have no problem with being, like you, a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The correct terminology, per the passport, is "British Citizen."

[derekl]

F3G -- you know that, I know that, but the U.S. wants "UK" in the Country of Citizenship slot.

[Final 3 Greens]

I don't give a rats ar*se about what the US wants, I was stating a fact.

[localplane]

Hello Tonic!

Are you going to Argentina? What can you tell me about the country? :8 I may be going in some weeks too and i ve never been there before! Can you help me? what about the country? people? and GIRLS????? :E:E:E:E:E:E:E


Thanks a lot!
;)

[TightSlot]

F3G - My, but we're prickly today... Bad day at the office? :E

localplane - this appears to be your first post, so you can enjoy a written warning instead of going straight to summary execution. Take a cold shower: Go for a run in the woods - actually, we don't care what you do, but please don't confuse PPRuNe with desperateforashag.com again!!!

[Tonic Please]

How amusing.

Anyway, my partner is a beautiful Argentinian so if I was able to tell you about the girls, having looked at them, I would not be alive to tell you!

Anyway, I don't need to look at them - I got me one anyway ;)

I'll speak to a flight attendant to confirm the entries on the on-board card. If anyone is going to JFK that day with AA, see you at T3 :)

[localplane]

Thank you Tonic...and good luck with your partner!

[Final 3 Greens]

F3G - My, but we're prickly today... Bad day at the office?

No, just covering for Rainboe. :E or maybe been exposed to some Rainboe (the product.)