[canucklad]

To me, this is a very worrying capitulation of our sovereignty…
Didn’t even realize that Homeland Security where wandering about our airports like secret agent undercover Trumpists…….

http://news.sky.com/story/1611036/us-stops-uk-muslim-familys-dream-holiday

I wonder if the Yanks would allow a reciprocal agreement at JFK & LAX

especially feel sorry for the kids : (

[DavidGordon10]

Well Canuck, the Americans are all over the place. A few years ago, I was in transit at Frankfurt, flown in from Amsterdam, flying on to Prague. Progress through to the Prague gate was held up by a long slow security check – why? “Because the USA authorities have requested it” (presumably there were US flights leaving from gates near the Prague gate).

Why did the authorities at Frankfurt allow it? Why should America be allowed to delay my transfer? Who would have been responsible if I had missed my flight? As I said at the time, I am not aware that the Dutch and the Czechs are at war …..

[MartynSinclair]

Reading more about this case, it does seem additionally odd that the family were granted an ESTA a few weeks before AND were presumably able to check in for the flight, without any concerns.

What happened between check in and the pre boarding ticket inspection to cause the withdrawal of the “authorisation to travel?”

Besides a ruined holiday… there is also the question of the “lost” £9,000 (cost of the tickets)..

[rodders]

typical US over reaction, shame they don’t do something about their gun control issue and stop innocent folks getting slaughtered at school, the mall, the cinema….amazing myopia!

[canucklad]

So Martyn, you asked what had changed ……….

If I was to tell you that the families American relatives live in San Bernardino. That might get the U.S. authorities into a tizzy !

[IanFromHKG]

I learnt over dinner last night with friends that one of them can’t go to Malaysia – because he’s Israeli. I must confess I had no idea that Malaysia restricted entry to Israelis. Apparently the same is true of Indonesia, which is less surprising given that it is constitutionally a Muslim state – but Malaysia is constitutionally secular.

These oddities appear all over the world. But the US does seem to be doing their best to alienate a huge proportion of the world’s population – at precisely the time they should be chucking olive branches around the entire world saying that their other (more arguably defensible, although let’s not start that debate here!) actions are legitimate responses to terrorism this should not and does not translate into religious intolerance.

The trouble is, frankly, that they have a system that allows utter loonies to be elected. That doesn’t make them unique in any democracy, but let’s be honest – their high-office-loony quotient is unnaturally high!

[LuganoPirate]

Also Martyn, two brothers, 9 kids (some 18 and 19) and only the males are traveling? All from Waltham Forest and one brother had been detained by the Israelis a few years ago. Not to mention some dubious postings on FB and some messages sympathetic to the Taliban. Sorry, job well done by Homeland Security I think.

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

A lot of people have had ESTA’s cancelled recently without warning including non Muslims. Devastating for families involved. If you have a travel history of travelling for nearly 90 days at a time (to see and stay with family perhaps) then watch out as someone had an ESTA cancelled day before travel.

[DavidGordon10]

To return to the original post, two questions, one rhetorical and the other concrete, in order:
1) To what extent does the USA realise that its foreign policy is one cause of the difficulties they have with foreign relations?
2) Does anyone know when the USA are going to start the visa requirement? I cannot find anything on the US Embassy website, or on the website of the State Department. I need to get a move on.

[BigDog.]

The BBC answers its own questions
1. What will change once the law goes into effect?
2. How will the visa program work?
3. Will I have to apply every time I go to the US?
4. Who will be hit hardest?
5. What if I’m a dual US citizen?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35162916

[DavidGordon10]

Many thanks for picking up on that BBC update BigDog. We will wait and see.

[DavidGordon10]

To follow-up on this thread…

I am now the proud owner of a 10-year USA visa. When I showed the embassy staff my 40-year old B1-B2 visa they were amazed, an antique.

The visa application process is two-stage, complete the online application, and then an interview.

The online application took a little time, the only difficult point was to get an electronic photograph that met the requirements. The routine on the website to check the picture first was very useful.

The interview involved an hour or so queueing outside the embassy, but then pretty quick once inside – one talk to a junior person, checking the papers and getting the fingerprints, and then a second talk with a consular officer (a completely charming person!) where the reasons for my recent travel to Iran, Sudan and so on were understood immediately.

A relatively painless experience.

[JohnHarper]

DavidGordon10 – 16/05/2016 08:07 BST

Thank you for the feedback David.

Traveling regularly to Iran these days I have wondered about what would happen if I needed to go to the US – not that I have plans to but this clarifies matters nicely.

[rodders]

DG10
I had a similar hassle free experience, but a longer wait, but the passport was back within 3 days. I have used it twice no to enter the US and both times asked why no ESTS, but the last chap in Miami was a real delight, engaging in a bit of banter, which is most unlike the majority of the CBP team. Miami airport was another matter altogether, but the immigration process both times took around 5 mins.

[Author]

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