Despegue : Roaster280 has it exactly right.That is how it was explained to us 2 weeks ago by an official the State Department. So all of us affected have appointments at the US embassy to get 10 years visas.
Ever heard of PNR and biometric passports scanning? you may have 10 passports, your biometrics are one. Everytime your passport is scanned on your way to or from a destination, the data goes into a central database. Welcome to the XXIst century.

ME4 is pregnant :)

Quite right, as long as you don't intend to visit the US, then it remains your business. But if you want to visit the US, then you have to follow the rules set by the US.

If you are found to deliberately lie to the US immigration authorities, they will have a sense of humor failure and you will be denied entry, banned from the US for a period, and forfeit the privilege of traveling visa free. That's the least sanction you can hope for.

Whether or how they find out is immaterial, and I have no idea how they do that, but it doesn't seem beyond the wit of man to compare computerized records (like the ESTA itself).

The old green I-94Ws had seemingly silly questions on it like "Have you ever committed an act of terrorism or supported a terrorist organization?". I highly doubt anybody, ever, answered yes to that question. But the point of it was not to have someone answer it honestly. It was a tool to efficiently deport or detain those individuals. The act of lying to the authorities is a serious thing in the US. Never mind the actual immigration issue, you've just committed a federal offense by lying to an immigration officer. Clang, mind your fingers.

I'm not making the case for whether it's right or over the top, I'm just explaining how it is. Having two passports doesn't mean you can lie on one of them.

Badk in the 70s there were serious sanctions against Rhodesia.
Just put a blank sheet of paper in your passport next to your photo and the border guards on both sides would stamp the blank sheet without a word being said. Problem solved.

Love the level of naivety in Roadster280s post! Typical Yank nonsense!

Despegue is spot on. The two passport method works a treat, trust me. For exactly the reasons he mentioned. And not just entering the US, but all over the world. Biometric passports make **** all difference.

:D

Consol states"
 

"Not to mention women having to wear veils and no booze on flights. Hardly appealing to most international travellers."

What utter nonsense. Iranian women have NEVER been required to wear "veils".

Just out of curiosity was Iran Air dry before the Mullahs moved back?

May be confusing with headscarves, there are signs at IKA Airport in Tehran reminding women to observe the dress code.

No, but then it's no more dry now than Saudi Arabia is.

Relatively easy way to overcome the stamping of passports of transiting and that is for country to read and not stamp passports. Therefore no proof they have transited Tehran.

Quote:
Originally Posted by crewmeal View Post
Just out of curiosity was Iran Air dry before the Mullahs moved back?
No, but then it's no more dry now than Saudi Arabia is.

I once, post revolution, had an invite to a well connected Iranians Teheran home for a function. A large impressive house. As we entered and were ushered into a large room servants were serving glasses of chilled champagne. A very Impressive spread was laid out including a table laden with bottles of Johhny Walker Black label. Other drinks such as beer and vodka were available.

The host told me that alcohol was freely available to those in the know and with the right connections. He also said there was a market in town where smugglers plied their wares to the ordinarily folks as well.

Just the usual Islamic hypocrisy same old same old:ok:

You crack on mate.

I still see cash being a potential obstacle to all these orders becoming reality. Oil prices are currently really low (I realize that will not stay the case forever), some banks still seem a bit reluctant to offer loans, and sanctions could get snapped back into place....

Yes, but Airbus will be "pulling out all the stops" to ensure that Iranair get the funding they need - especially for the A380 !

I think earlier in this thread or somewhere aviation related there was a mention about the accounts unfrozen held in the US bank. So there were some serious money on those account.

Serious money indeed. Depending on which source you use the frozen assets are believed to range somewhere between $20billion and $180billion. Obama initially stated that the sum totalled some $100billion but later reassessed it at $50 to $60billion.

Iran?s frozen funds: how much is really there and how will they be used?

When I visited Cuba some time ago the border guys used to do exactly that (I don't have a US passport) so that you wouldn't get any hassle if you subsequently visited the States. I suspect if they hadn't it might have affected the number of people who were willing to visit and spend their tourist dollars.

Trust me, he was.
 

Ignorance is such a delightful attribute - especially when one's mouth is open.

right
 

Not that Christians can ever be accused of hypocrisy, right?

You have no idea ...
 

.... how much money is available in Iran :p