Posted on 01/14/2011 1:57:30 PM PST by Lexluthor69
If you needed any further proof that our nation is being run by a gaggle of incompetents here you go:
From the Telegraph:
Civil servants Kathy and Edward Francis planned to surprise their grandson Micah Strachan with the holiday of a lifetime to Florida in February.
They were only going to tell Micah about it when they took him to the airport on February 19 for the flight to the US.
They had already spent more than £1,500 on plane tickets and had been organising the trip for months.
But this week US Embassy officials denied the schoolboy a visa to enter the US.
They said there was a risk he would not leave the US at the end of his holiday and refused his application under Section 214 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Wait, what? You mean because there is a chance that a 9 year old British national might not leave the country he was denied entry. This is truly amazing. We have millions of illegal immigrants crossing our border without even a cursory effort at compliance and someone who actually, properly applies for entry is denied.
(Excerpt) Read more at silentmajority09.com ...
The Brits should have stated that they were Muslims and there would not have been any delay.
I’m sure there’s more to the story than this.
I read in the other thread that the kid didn’t have an appropriate visa due to his parents not having maintained the correct passport for him.
We have trash working in our government look in any Federal office,some of them are on green card.
Apparently the parents were originally from South Africa, and the kid holds a South African passport.
To enter the USA with a South African passport, one is required to additionally possess a visa for entry. The same is not required of a British passport holder.
The parents failed to obtain the appropriate passport, and instead attempted the kid’s entry into the United States using a wrong passport without the adequate visa.
“We have trash working in our government look in any Federal office,some of them are on green card.”
We also have many fine patriots working there. Hubby is a veteran and now protects our borders, as he has for the past 22 years. I was in the Air Force Reserves, and was a Customs Inspector for 9 years myself.
BINGO! He had a South African passport that his grand parents had secured, but he was attempting to enter the country as a Brit.
In general they will refuse a visa to anyone who they think may just want to stay illegally after the visa has expired. But it seems they don’t care if you just circumvent the whole process and walk right into the country, illegal from the start. Go figure.
They must have figured that this child wouldn’t vote Democrat...
Thank you. Based on the useless excerpt... I wasn’t really interested in clicking the article for further (possible) information.
How? By looking the other way?
Entering a country illegally via airports is a lot different from sneaking in through a grassland desert by jumping across an unguarded fence.
In the former case, the entrant’s location and identities are well documented.
I’m from there and trust me it is really hard to get over here.
Our best ally and this admin craps all over them.
Maybe these Brits are white, and Christian and we just can’t have that can they.
BTW M mam came over here and what a balls ache it was for her plus she got pulled aside for further inspection and questioning for over an hour.
Yes that 79 year old granny is really a big threat while those 3rd world lot and muslims are not
ARF
I have extensive experience with sort of thing. There is nothing more to it than berserk INS agents. (They don't call it the INS any longer, however.) It is very common for people to be denied visas under that excuse, especially if the applicant has an education and is young.
This is pretty stupid in view of conditions on our Southern border; but, most of what our government does is just plain stupid.
Important Notices
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html#vwp
ESTA Updates:
New ESTA Fee: Effective September 8, 2010, all Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) registration applications or renewals on or after that date will require a $14.00 fee payment by credit or debit card. Existing ESTA registrations remain valid through their expiration date. For more information, please visit the ESTA webpage on the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection website.
ESTA is Required: Effective January 20, 2010, the Department of Homeland Security is transitioning to enforced compliance of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) requirement for VWP travelers. Therefore, VWP travelers who have not obtained approval through ESTA should expect to be denied boarding on any air carrier bound for the United States.
As of January 12, 2009, a valid ESTA approval is required for all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to travel to the United States. The Department of Homeland Security, Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is a free, automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the VWP. It collects the same information as the paper I-94W form that VWP travelers fill out en route to the United States. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel. An ESTA authorization generally will be valid for up to two years. Authorizations will be valid for multiple entries into the United States. DHS recommends that travelers submit an ESTA application as soon as they begin making travel plans.
Learn more about ESTA on the DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website, www.cbp.gov. ESTA applications may be completed online at the official DHS website, which is: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. Review the important DHS Advisory Warning about unauthorized third-party ESTA application related web sites.
Emergency Passports: Effective July 1, 2009, all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) emergency or temporary passports must be electronic passports (e-Passports) to be eligible for travel to the United States under the VWP. This includes VWP applicants who present emergency or temporary passports to transit the United States. Learn more.
GREECE: On March 9, 2010, the Department of Homeland Security designated Greece as a member of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Greek nationals can travel on the VWP beginning April 5, 2010. However, potential Greek travelers may apply for travel authorization approval under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) beginning immediately.
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables nationals of 36 participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business (visitor [B] visa purposes only) for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. The program was established to eliminate unnecessary barriers to travel, stimulating the tourism industry, and permitting the Department of State to focus consular resources in other areas. VWP eligible travelers may apply for a visa, if they prefer to do so. Nationals of VWP countries must meet eligibility requirements to travel without a visa on VWP, and therefore, some travelers from VWP countries are not eligible to use the program. VWP travelers are required to have a valid authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to travel, are screened at the port of entry into the United States, and are enrolled in the Department of Homeland Security’s US-VISIT program.
Currently, 36 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program, as shown below:
| Andorra | Hungary | New Zealand |
| Australia | Iceland | Norway |
| Austria | Ireland | Portugal |
| Belgium | Italy | San Marino |
| Brunei | Japan | Singapore |
| Czech Republic | Latvia | Slovakia |
| Denmark | Liechtenstein | Slovenia |
| Estonia | Lithuania | South Korea |
| Finland | Luxembourg | Spain |
| France | Malta | Sweden |
| Germany | Monaco | Switzerland |
| Greece | the Netherlands | United Kingdom |
To be admitted to the Visa Waiver Program, a country must meet various security and other requirements, such as enhanced law enforcement and security-related data sharing with the United States and timely reporting of both blank and issued lost and stolen passports. VWP members are also required to maintain high counterterrorism, law enforcement, border control, and document security standards.
In addition, designation as a VWP country is at the discretion of the United States government. Meeting the objective requirements of the VWP does not guarantee a successful candidacy for VWP membership.
Review this VWP Quick Reference Guide (for new member countries) and make sure you review this webpage for detailed information. Nationals of the 36 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program may use VWP if:
VWP travelers who have been admitted under the Visa Waiver Program and who make a short trip to Canada, Mexico or an adjacent island generally can be readmitted to the United States under the VWP for the balance of their original admission period. See the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website for additional details. Also VWP nationals resident in Mexico, Canada or adjacent islands are generally exempted from requirements to show onward travel to other foreign destinations. Learn more at the CBP website.
Nationals of VWP countries must meet the guidelines listed in the section above in order to seek admission to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. Travelers who do not meet these guidelines must apply for a visa.
A visa must be requested if the traveler:
A recent visa denial for any reason could result in denial of an authorization via ESTA, additional questioning at the port of entry, or denial of admission to the United States. Applicants who are uncertain of whether they qualify for VWP travel may choose to apply for a visa.
To request entry into the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, travelers must meet the requirements listed in Which travelers may enter the United States using the Visa Waiver Program?. Each VWP traveler must present his/her own valid passport of the appropriate type. See What do I need to know about VWP machine-readable passport (MRP) and e-Passport?, What is a machine-readable passport (MRP)? and What is an e-Passport? for additional details. VWP travelers must also have an authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA and, may be required to present a completed and signed I-94W Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival-Departure Record to U.S. officials at the port of entry depending on the airline (DHS is in the process of eliminating the paper form). I-94W forms are free and often provided by travel agents, airlines or cruise ships prior to arrival, but may be picked up and completed on arrival at the U.S. port of entry. Travelers may also be asked to provide evidence of onward travel or other documentation on the purpose of their stay in the United States. Travelers entering through land ports of entry must pay a small land border fee as prescribed in 8 CFR 103.7(b)(1).
All VWP travelers, regardless of age or type of passport used, must present a machine-readable passport. In addition, depending on when VWP travelers’ passports were issued, other passport requirements apply:
Notice: Effective July 1, 2009 all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) emergency or temporary passports must be electronic passports (e-Passports) to be eligible for travel to the United States without a visa under the VWP. This includes VWP applicants who present emergency or temporary passports to transit the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Protection may exercise discretion at the ports of entry for cases in which VWP applicants are traveling for medical or other emergency reasons. A VWP national arriving in the United States with a non-compliant passport, for other than emergency travel reasons, may be detained for further processing and/or denied admission”.
Please refer to the Visa Waiver Program Passport Requirements on the United States CBP website for additional details on passport requirements.
Passports, regardless of the type, must be valid for six months past the expected stay in the United States (unless country-specific agreements provide exemptions). This is a requirement for all categories of passports - regular, diplomatic, and official - when the traveler is seeking to enter the United States for business or tourist purposes, for a maximum of 90 days.
If you are a traveler from a VWP country and your passport does not meet these requirements, you may want to consider obtaining a new VWP-compliant passport from the passport issuing authority in your country of citizenship. Otherwise you cannot travel under VWP and you must obtain a visa in your valid passport for entry into the United States.
every person coming form the UK requires to get a visa , I know as I;m form there and done this many times plus have family and friends who do the same.
I forget what it is called but it’s a green card you fill out and a white card.
Once you get to immigration on this side you have to present your passport and visa.
You used to fill them out on the plane but now have to give your name to the travel agents or who you’re flying with and then wait for the visa to be sent to you.
It’s a 90 day visa
An interesting tid-bit, earlier last year:
What is a 6-year-old Indian American girl doing on US terror list?
WASHINGTON: Santhosh Thomas, an Indian-American doctor, is at a loss to understand how his 6-year-old daughter Alyssa turned up on the US government’s terror watch list or how to get her off it.
The worst thing Alyssa has ever done is probably threatening her sister and that the doctor from Westlake, Ohio, says he’s sure is not enough to land her on the no-fly list of suspected terrorists.
“She may have threatened her sister, but I don’t think that constitutes Homeland Security triggers,” Thomas said.
An airline ticket agent informed the family of their predicament when they embarked on recent trip from Cleveland to Minneapolis. “They said, ‘Well, she’s on the list.’ We’re like, okay, what’s the story? What do we have to do to get off the list? This isn’t exactly the list we want to be on,” Thomas was quoted as saying.
The Thomases were allowed to fly that day, but authorities told them to contact the US Department of Homeland Security to clear up the matter. Now they’ve received a letter from the government addressed to 6-year-old Alyssa, telling her that nothing in her file will be changed.
Federal authorities have acknowledged that such a no-fly list exists, but as a matter of national security, they won’t comment on whose names are on it nor why.
“The watch lists are an important layer of security to prevent individuals with known or suspected ties to terrorism from flying,” an unnamed spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration told Fox News.
“She’s been flying since she was two-months old, so that has not been an issue,” Alyssa’s dad said. “In fact, we had travelled to Mexico in February and there were no issues at that time.”
That’s likely because of a recent change by the Transportation Security Administration, which used to check only international passengers’ names against the no-fly list, but since earlier this month has been checking domestic passengers as well.
The Thomases told CNN they plan on appealing Alyssa’s status to the US Department of Homeland Security again, and will be sure to leave plenty of extra time for check-in the next time they fly.
Now this is incompetence on the part of the security agencies. The case on this thread where parents took the wrong passport and attempted entry without the appropriate visa, honestly, is not. The border agents did the right thing, by the book, in the South African case.
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