Travelling From The UK To The USA – ESTA
The tourist visa to the USA or ‘visitor for pleasure’ visa which includes visiting relatives, getting better medical treatment and enjoying tourist activities, is sought after from all over the world. The tourist visa (or B-2 visa) authorization is for a period of 3 months to 10 years.
On a tourist visa you can get a singe entry (3 months) or multiple entries to and from the USA for medical care, meet friends and family and engage in tourist activities. However, every visit to the USA cannot exceed 6 months and those on tourist visa are not allowed to take on employment in the USA. Though an extension is possible for 6 months, you need to show that the extension is not for permanent settlement, but is a temporary visit.
Based on the Customs and Border Patrol immigration officer at the port of entry stamps the I-94 card for authorizing the period of stay. You need by law to leave by the date mentioned on the I-94 card. It looks at the intention to depart from US when the stay on tourist visa expires.
However, when you are looking to qualify for a US tourist visa from the UK, there is the possibility of a Visa Waiver Program, in many cases that allows British citizens to visit US for a period of 90 days but require legal authorization through Electronic System for Travel Authorization. If you have dual membership for the USA and the UK, you will have to enter the USA and the UK on your USA passport.
All of the UK travelers going to US on the Visa Waiver Program allow the UK citizens to go to the USA for 3 months without a visa. But such people need complete authorization before the journey irrespective of arriving in US by air or by sea. If you have dual citizenship of UK and US, you do not need a US tourist visa from UK. All visitors have to register through the government-controlled website Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
However, the registration on the website has to be done within 72 hours before you intend on travelling. And if you don’t have the ‘Electronic System For Travel Authorization’, you cannot travel and enter the the USA. Each applicant pays $14 per application on ‘Electronic System For Travel Authorization’ and credit card payments are allowed. If you are arriving in US from Mexico or Canada as a British citizen, you do not need this permit of electronic registration if you are under Visa Waiver Program. However you are not allowed to get any employment or stay for more than 90 days without a visa.
You can talk with an immigration attorney as they would be able to help you, if you need a USA tourist visa from the UK. Most of the immigration attorneys are conversant with the latest developments when it comes to immigration law and regulations. They will be able to help you get the US tourist visa from UK and complete the documentation and paperwork.