Possible problem entering the US?

T

thespecialon

Registered User
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211
Hi,

Basically hoping to take in Las Vegas as part of honeymoon this year and then fly off to the Caribean...Problem is was in Boston before for a summer in 2001,I was on a 3month holiday entry,I happened to overstay by about 1 week however....Could this cause any problems for me if trying to enter the US again?
 
Dont know, why dont you fill out the online visa waver and see of you are granted the visa.
 
I spent a few summers in America in the nineties and never overstayed. I was going there again last year for the first time in almost ten years and got stopped at immigration in Shannon. Terrible experience - they grilled me about dates of entry and exit from ten years earlier, what I had done when I was there, why I went, why I came back, what was I doing now, etc. I had to lie about working there as I had no visa and was working illegally at the time so was very nervous about that. Just before final boarding call they said I could go through but that they would be marking my passport in such a way that I wouldn't be able to travel again until I got clearance from the American Embassy in Dublin. The immigration officer made it very clear that she could have stopped me if she wanted. I made an appointment at the US Embassy and had to bring along documentation such as College transcripts from the time that proved I had been in Ireland and go through another interview where the emphasis seemed to be on my ties to this country now.
My advice to you would be to get this sorted before you book a trip abroad. Don't ignore it and hope you won't be affected. The stress isn't worth it. It took me about six weeks to organise the appointment at the time so get started on this today.
 
Yes you need to apply in advance for travel authorisation. There are some dodgy websites around which will try to charge you a fee for this, but it should be free.

Here is the official link:

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/
 
thespecialon said:
Thanks Valkstar,

Ill try filling that out see where I get.

T
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I would not be confident that you wouldn't encounter problems just because you had this visa waiver. I know it sounds like a hassle but I would still advise you to contact the US Embassy to explain your situation before travelling to the US.
 
I had a problem a few years ago where I didnt meet the entry criteria on landing in Washington and was deported a few days later (after interogation). I used the online waver recently and while I was in panic when I landed in the states I had no issue. You clear imigration in Ireland now so its no bother.

As the above post states though its still 100% guarenteed as it tells you in the small print.
 
krissovo said:
You clear imigration in Ireland now so its no bother.

As the above post states though its still 100% guarenteed as it tells you in the small print.
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Not necessarily. About half of the flights departing for the US don't clear immigration in Ireland. It depends on the airline and the flight time. US Immigration closes around lunchtime and not every airlines uses those gates.
 
Hi, we cleared immigration in Orlando recently and it wasn't a pleasant experience either.
 
a close friend of mine overstayed her J1 10 years ago, and was denied boarding. She has decided never to go back to the US! She has a good career but it means nothing to the border people. They just read the rules and apply them.
 
The rules are crystal clear - if you previously overstayed then you are not eligible for the Visa Waiver and must apply for a visa at the US Embassy.

No excuse for overstaying in the first place , if you had a genuine reason for needing an extension it could have been easily obtained over there.
 
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