Immigration/Formalities/Visas etc

[Hambagahle]

Over the past couple of days there has been some discussion on some threads regarding use of the Immigration kiosks on entry into the USA, whether or not a US citizen who is a dual national needs to enter the US on his/her US passport and why and things related to the ESTA, ETA (Canada) and the about to be introduced in 2021 ETIAS for entry into the European Union.   Rather than "piggy back" another thread a couple of CCers - TC2 and Bellagio cruisers - have suggested that I start a new thread so we can all discuss these "thorny" issues so here goes!

 

Immigration Kiosks :   Very often fingerprints are rejected by the kiosks and the dreaded "X" is on the print out, which means yet another queue for Immigration and more time spent.   Gnomie made an interesting suggestion about this - she says that if you use hand cream shortly before having your fingerprints read,  the machine can read them better.  As we age apparently our fingerprints "fade" due to wear and tear (!) and the handcream sharpens things up so the machine has an easier time.  Also, air in the plane is dry causing skin the dry makign it harder for the machine to read the print.

 

ESTA/ETA :  I discovered from talking with Wendy the Wanderer that her dual national (US/Canada) husband travels to the US on his Canadian passport.  My dual national (US/Swiss) husband cannot do this - though he would like to - because if he did he would have to apply for the US ESTA which asks you to list any other or previous passports.  The computer would then see that he has a US passport and refuse the ESTA since it would be deemed unnecessary.  It seems that Canadians are not required to have ESTAs to enter the USA.  (useful if you happen to have a Canadian passport!!)

 

ETIAS - all US citizens and nationals of some 60 other countries which are currently visa-exempt for Schengen will have to apply for one of these if they wish to visit any EU country (except Great Britian and Ireland), Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein starting in 2021.  For more info about this see www.etiasvisa.com   Like the ESTA they will be obtained online and there will be a fee.

 

Visas:   If a passenger is not a US citizen and because of his/her nationality a visa is required for a cruise it is the passenger's responsibility to (a) determine whether one is required or not and (b) to obtain it.   Sometimes getting a visa is a very time-consuming affair involving personal appearance at a Consulate or Embassy.  Has anyone had experience with this OR with visa services that, for a fee, get the visa for you ??

 

These are probably just a few of the issues that could be covered in this thread - now please everyone else chip in with your own experiences / procedures / suggestions!

Gerry

 

 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Hambagahle

[DavidTheWonderer]

3 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

... ESTA/ETA :  I discovered from talking with Wendy the Wanderer that her dual national (US/Canada) husband travels to the US on his Canadian passport.  ...

This thread  is really useful for many. Thanks for taking the trouble to do this.

 

Here's a small true story not nearly as serious as the thread itself. Although I travel everywhere on my Canadian passport I always have my US one tucked away somewhere. Wendy only has a Canadian passport.

 

We once landed in LAX from Tahiti simultaneous with jumbo jets full of folks from Hong Kong.  The non-US citizen line for customs and immigration was huge but the US citizen line was zero. So I had a dilemma. Do I stand in that long line with Wendy, or do I use my US passport to skip the line and use the time saved to contemplate life as a single man since Wendy would surely leave me. I stood in the line.

[Hambagahle]

A similar thing happened to me on arrival in Tortola.  A long line for "foreigners" and no one at all in the "Belongers" line.  (Not kidding - that is what the sign said  "Belongers").   at that time I had a British passport.  So I pulled it out and showed it to the official and asked is I could be a Belonger too!  He grinned, looked at the other line and said "Why not?".  Then I asked if I could bring my American husband with me - to which he said "I don't want to wreck a marriage, bring him over" !!  And we got through faster than a wink!

[DeepFreeze63]

Recent experiences:

Immigration Kiosks :   DW and I have both TSA-Pre and Global Entry. DW has "faded" fingerprints and her approvals took about 6 weeks and some follow-up questions after the interview for GE. Last month at our entry at Dulles, DW easily went in via the GE kiosk; I got the dreaded "X" and had to join a queque. - I had left my hat on and had not looked directly at the camera. Lesson Learned: follow the simple directions at the machine!

Visas: Getting ready for trip that includes Brazil where we had been five years ago. Asked and received written confirmation from Brazilian Consulate in D.C. that my 10-year Brazil Visa was still effective even if in an expired U.S. passport as long as I  carried both the new and the expired passports.

[John182]

I think this will prove to be a very useful and informative thread. My initial contribution will be in an area I know fairly well, travelling to Canada. From March 2016, travellers from visa exempt countries have had to apply and be accepted for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

An eTA is an entry requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air. An eTA is electronically linked to a traveller’s passport. It is valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.  If you get a new passport, you need to get a new eTA.

With a valid eTA, you can travel to Canada as often as you want for short stays (normally for up to six months at a time).

An eTA doesn’t guarantee entry to Canada. When you arrive, a border services officer will ask to see your passport and other documents – for example, a U.S. Green Card. You must convince the officer that you are eligible for entry into Canada.

Travellers who need an eTA:

• Visa-exempt foreign nationals need an eTA to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport. These travellers do not need an eTA when arriving by car, bus, train or boat (including a cruise ship). So if you fly into Seattle say for an Alaskan cruise you will not need an eTA if you happen to call into Victoria or Vancouver for example.
• Lawful permanent residents of the U.S. need an eTA to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport. They must present a valid Green Card and a valid passport at check-in.

 

Travellers who are exempt from needing an eTA

 

• Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, need a valid Canadian passport. American-Canadian dual citizens can travel with a valid Canadian or U.S. passport.
• Canadian permanent residents need a valid permanent resident card or permanent resident travel document.
• U.S. citizens must carry proper identification such as a valid U.S. passport.
• The usual list of exempt occupations including diplomats.
• Travellers from visa exempt countries that have had to obtain a visa to work or study in Canada. You do not need both a visa and an eTA.

 

Travellers from non visa-exempt countries will still need to obtain a visa irrespective of their method of entry into Canada. I think there were a few changes last year for a few such countries, Brazil being one of them, that allowed them to apply for an eTA under certain circumstances.

 

The eTA will cost $7 Canadian per person. Separate applications need to be made. There are a lot of alternative sites that will apply on your behalf but you will pay a lot more. In my opinion the application is straightforward and therefore not worth the extra costs of using a third party.

 

It is important to understand that any criminal convictions or arrests have to be declared and this would result in substantive extra information needing to be provided which would delay the application process. Canada, in my view correctly, has very strict conditions on entry. Even motoring convictions for unsafe driving can prevent you from entering Canada. I only know of one person who has had this type of problem for an old offence and it took a long time to resolve. In most cases you would need to make the offence inadmissible or more likely apply for a temporary residents permit (TPR) which is a long process apparently. Bottom line is if anybody in your party has some sort of criminal history then it is important to start the application process as early as possible. I am sure this will not apply to anybody reading this by the way! Oh and there are similar obstacles for some pre-existing medical conditions I believe.

 

PS – In reply to Hambagahle’s point on my initial post in the other thread, I forgot to mention why my son was trying to use his UK passport to get back into Canada. Rather amusing really, he had to come home to visit us in a hurry and he managed to wash his Canadian passport in the top pocket of a shirt. In the end he had to wait to get his new Canadian one.

Edited November 29, 2018 by John182

[John182]

Just an observation on Visas to enter Cuba. The Regent FAQs has a very comprehensive section on the need for a Visa when visiting and also the need to complete the OFAC Affidavit for the reason for the visit to Cuba. Also, I believe there is a separate thread on the complexities of this process here on the Regent Board.

My only point is that although I was aware that I could get the visas via Regent for $75 each I was under the impression this should be done once on board and the costs added to the on board account. My TA informed me, after some prompting from me it must be said, that this had to be done prior to departure and paid for at that time. I have re-read the FAQs and it is not immediately apparent that this is the process to be followed.

Of course this might be a foible of booking from the UK and the process may be different for where you are.

It would be interesting to know if this is a generic process for all foreign entry visas obtained through Regent.

[Travelcat2]

4 hours ago, DavidTheWonderer said:

This thread  is really useful for many. Thanks for taking the trouble to do this.

 

Here's a small true story not nearly as serious as the thread itself. Although I travel everywhere on my Canadian passport I always have my US one tucked away somewhere. Wendy only has a Canadian passport.

 

We once landed in LAX from Tahiti simultaneous with jumbo jets full of folks from Hong Kong.  The non-US citizen line for customs and immigration was huge but the US citizen line was zero. So I had a dilemma. Do I stand in that long line with Wendy, or do I use my US passport to skip the line and use the time saved to contemplate life as a single man since Wendy would surely leave me. I stood in the line.

 

Not sure if it always works this way, however, when we go to England, my DH (dual citizen) uses his British passport and I only have a U.S. passport.  We go in the shortest line and never have had a problem. He wanted to try doing this in Frankfurt but had the same concerns that you did.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

5 hours ago, DavidTheWonderer said:

...The non-US citizen line for customs and immigration was huge but the US citizen line was zero. So I had a dilemma. Do I stand in that long line with Wendy, or do I use my US passport to skip the line and use the time saved to contemplate life as a single man since Wendy would surely leave me. I stood in the line.

 

And since then the situation has improved immensely for Canadians at US airports of entry--Canadians get lumped in with Americans for queuing purposes.  But then we run into the dreaded "X" problem which slows us down again--will remember to carry hand lotion next time!

 

4 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

A similar thing happened to me on arrival in Tortola.  A long line for "foreigners" and no one at all in the "Belongers" line.  (Not kidding - that is what the sign said  "Belongers").   at that time I had a British passport.  So I pulled it out and showed it to the official and asked is I could be a Belonger too!  He grinned, looked at the other line and said "Why not?".  Then I asked if I could bring my American husband with me - to which he said "I don't want to wreck a marriage, bring him over" !!  And we got through faster than a wink!

 

 

I love the 'Belongers'!  Trying to think if I've ever seen other interesting words for this.

 

And thanks to John182 for the info on entering Canada.  It is worth reiterating that convictions like DUI will bar you from Canada--this comes up when talking about Alaska and leaf-peeping cruises a lot.  Of course now, if you're a Canadian coming to the U.S. you can be barred if you admit to ever having smoked pot.

 

And I'll paste what I posted this morning in the other thread, re: Canadians entering the U.S.:

 

Canadian Citizens, ESTA and U.S. Visas

• In most cases Canadian passport holders are not required to hold a U.S. visa to enter the United States directly from Canada.
• Canada is not a part of the Visa Waiver Program and Canadian passport holders do not need and cannot apply for ESTA.

Edited November 29, 2018 by Wendy The Wanderer

[Hambagahle]

John 182 -

 #5

Posted 6 hours ago (edited)PS – In reply to Hambagahle’s point on my initial post in the other thread, I forgot to mention why my son was trying to use his UK passport to get back into Canada. Rather amusing really, he had to come home to visit us in a hurry and he managed to wash his Canadian passport in the top pocket of a shirt. In the end he had to wait to get his new Canadian one

 

John - I have heard (a lot, living in Switzerland!) about money laundering but never, ever about passport laundering!!  Your poor son.  How did he explain that to the Canadian authorities?  !!

 

Wendy -

 

my thoughts are now confirmed.  Canadians (normally) do not need a visa or ESTA to enter the US.  We Swiss do.  SO - Ken's US passport, issued through the post by some outfit (of the US government!) in Maine has no fingerprints in it because he was never asked to provide them... - and he cannot use his Swiss passport to enter the US because he would need an ESTA - which since he has a US passport he cannot get.

 

Next time we come to the US we will state all this when sent to the queue for the kiosk and ask to see a "real live person". Meantime Ken - who works with American Citizens Abroad on tax issues - will raise this question with ACA.  It should concern them!

 

I am SO glad we are having this conversation!  Many thanks to you and David for your input.

Gerry

Edited November 29, 2018 by Hambagahle

[Wendy The Wanderer]

1 hour ago, Hambagahle said:

...

Wendy -

 

my thoughts are now confirmed.  Canadians (normally) do not need a visa or ESTA to enter the US.  We Swiss do.  SO - Ken's US passport, issued through the post by some outfit (of the US government!) in Maine has no fingerprints in it because he was never asked to provide them... - and he cannot use his Swiss passport to enter the US because he would need an ESTA - which since he has a US passport he cannot get.

 

Next time we come to the US we will state all this when sent to the queue for the kiosk and ask to see a "real live person". Meantime Ken - who works with American Citizens Abroad on tax issues - will raise this question with ACA.  It should concern them!

 

I am SO glad we are having this conversation!  Many thanks to you and David for your input.

Gerry

 

Good, you're welcome, and thanks for starting the thread.  Ken must have fun working on tax issues since that's a very complex issue, and one that has caused a lot of grief.

 

Our Canadian passports don't have fingerprints, btw.  Yet!

[Hambagahle]

10 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

 

Our Canadian passports don't have fingerprints, btw.  Yet!

So what do you do when you have to use a kiosk??

[John182]

12 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

John 182 -

 #5

Posted 6 hours ago (edited)PS – In reply to Hambagahle’s point on my initial post in the other thread, I forgot to mention why my son was trying to use his UK passport to get back into Canada. Rather amusing really, he had to come home to visit us in a hurry and he managed to wash his Canadian passport in the top pocket of a shirt. In the end he had to wait to get his new Canadian one

 

John - I have heard (a lot, living in Switzerland!) about money laundering but never, ever about passport laundering!!  Your poor son.  How did he explain that to the Canadian authorities?  !! 

 

Wendy -

 

my thoughts are now confirmed.  Canadians (normally) do not need a visa or ESTA to enter the US.  We Swiss do.  SO - Ken's US passport, issued through the post by some outfit (of the US government!) in Maine has no fingerprints in it because he was never asked to provide them... - and he cannot use his Swiss passport to enter the US because he would need an ESTA - which since he has a US passport he cannot get.

 

Next time we come to the US we will state all this when sent to the queue for the kiosk and ask to see a "real live person". Meantime Ken - who works with American Citizens Abroad on tax issues - will raise this question with ACA.  It should concern them!

 

I am SO glad we are having this conversation!  Many thanks to you and David for your input.

Gerry

 

I think the Canadian authorities saw the funny side of it and really it was just a damaged passport. We were a little upset because of the delay. That said it was impossible for me to be too critical as this was a case of like father like son. Twenty years previously I had done exactly the same thing.

 

I had been working away in Zurich. When I returned home I left the passport in my shirt pocket and it went into the washing machine. Unfortunately I was due to lead a very large proposal presentation in San Francisco the following week and the only way I could reschedule to allow me time to get a new passport in person in London meant that I would have to fly Concorde to NYC and then get an overnight flight to SFO in time to get to the presentation. Explaining this plan to the senior partner of the firm I was working for at the time tested my negotiation skills to the limit

 

After many mutterings and significant pauses he reluctantly agreed to my plan, although he did threaten that if we lost the job I might be asked to pay the Concorde fare back. That definitively focussed my mind. Luckily we won the job which led to me running jobs in SF and Zurich at the same time for the best part of 18 months. The airmiles mounted up pretty quickly.

[Hambagahle]

aaah!  Concorde!  I loved flying on that plane.  And once had the fastest Paris/JFK flight ever - 3hrs 15mins.  The crew had no time to serve both cheese and dessert!  They apologised and blamed it on extremely strong tail winds.

 

Good thing you got the contract!   But just think:  if that had been today and you had needed to get a new ESTA because your passport number had changed - you would not have made the meeting in SFO, concorde or no concorde!!

Edited November 30, 2018 by Hambagahle

[John182]

Yes, Concorde was an amazing aircraft. It saddens me that she flies no more and even more so that with all the advances in technology there is no obvious replacement on the way. It seems like everybody I know that flew on her has an interesting story to tell. I hope they provided the cheese as a carry out for you!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

10 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

So what do you do when you have to use a kiosk??

 

Can't remember precisely.  The passports get scanned, and there's a photo taken.  Now I can't remember if they take a fingerprint or not, but I have this memory of David getting the 'X' in MIA which led to a huge delay in transit for us.

[Hambagahle]

The only kiosks we have used are at MIA.  We have to scan the passport, then a photo is taken, then the fingerprints (maybe not in that order...)   Ken always gets an X.  I don't - my Swiss passport has an eye scan and fingerprints.  His is just a US passport, issued via the post and not biometric.  (He hasn't been to Maine yet!!)

 

Now I know why he gets the X and that helps a lot!!

[patbob1]

On 11/29/2018 at 8:05 AM, DeepFreeze63 said:

Recent experiences:

Immigration Kiosks :   DW and I have both TSA-Pre and Global Entry. DW has "faded" fingerprints and her approvals took about 6 weeks and some follow-up questions after the interview for GE. Last month at our entry at Dulles, DW easily went in via the GE kiosk; I got the dreaded "X" and had to join a queque. - I had left my hat on and had not looked directly at the camera. Lesson Learned: follow the simple directions at the machine!

Visas: Getting ready for trip that includes Brazil where we had been five years ago. Asked and received written confirmation from Brazilian Consulate in D.C. that my 10-year Brazil Visa was still effective even if in an expired U.S. passport as long as I  carried both the new and the expired passports.

Another tip if you have “faded” fingerprints that a Border Agent gave me if you don’t have hand cream. Rub your fingers across you forehead. The oil in your skin will enhance your fingerprints. This has worked for me several times. 

[Hambagahle]

That is very clever!!