Need Advice for German Citizen entering the U.S.

[Stowe18]

Guys- thanks again for all the answers and feedback. Great info-- really appreciate it.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

We paid $120 or so... it can't have trippled?

Its meant be based on a reciprocal arrangement. My last in Australia was $240.

[leftbrainstuff]

AFAIK you cannot enter by private boat on an ETSY visa. So he'll need an appropriate tourist visa. Typically limited to 90 days. Reset upon exit.

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by leftbrainstuff

AFAIK you cannot enter by private boat on an ETSY visa. So he'll need an appropriate tourist visa. Typically limited to 90 days. Reset upon exit.

With regular "in passport visa" the length of stay is up to 6 months. But the border officer may limit it significantly depending on the circumstances. However, if the visitor is from "visa free" country the visa itself may be for up to 10 years so in case that officer gave a short stay, say 2 weeks, visa holder then theoretically can clear out and clear in at another point hoping to get a longer stay. Not sure if he would have to land in another jurisdiction (such as Canada for example) or can just reach int'l waters and head back before attempting a second clearance.

[royalstar]

Originally Posted by Stowe18

Hey everyone - I have a friend (German citizen) who has just sailed from Germany to the Caribbean. He is planning on visiting the U.S. for a couple weeks this June. What are the requirements for him entering? From what he's telling me, he has to go through an interview process, which the earliest he can get is July.. I can understand certain countries not being allowed in - but a German citizen with a passport who just wants to visit for a week or two to jump through so many hoops to enter - seems excessive.... Especially compared to the 12 countries he's visited along the way so far. I thought you just threw up your yellow quarantine flag, checked in/boarded/paperwork, and you were good to go for a few weeks.. Thats how it's been so far for him with other ports. Just wondering if there is anyone here who knows a little about the process. Also, I should mention, he did not acquire a visa prior to leaving on this trip.. Is he stuck with bypassing the USA altogether?

Thanks in advance.

.....and they are complaining about Shengen

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

It defies belief that a normally aware GERMAN citizen would not know that he cannot enter the US UNLESS he is in possession of a current visa! So what is the "back story" here?

In any event, Stowe 18, why ask us, when the US Customs and Border Protection Service is only a phone call away? Seems to me that when you are messing with things that can have SERIOUSLY adverse consequences - like entering the US"illegially" - you'd best get the answer straight from the horse's mouth!

TrentePieds

No, it does not defy belief. German citizens are able to travel almost the entire world without any visa. Just show up and they wave you through. INCLUDING the U.S. So it is completely understandable that they might assume that they can just show up in their yacht.

EXCEPT that there is this exception, when you come by private plane or yacht. The visa waiver program doesn't work in that case. Good thing he asked.

I will join others in advising to go through a U.S. consulate in an out of the way place somewhere. That's what most non-U.S. cruisers do preparatory to entering the U.S. (which includes PR, by the way).

The other way is to fly in and have someone else sail the boat over.

Not a big deal with reasonable planning.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by royalstar

.....and they are complaining about Shengen

There's no monopoly on boneheadedness, where visas are concerned

But in fairness, I'd rather deal with the necessity of applying for a paper visa (U.S.), than be unable to get any kind of visa at all (Schengen). The Schengen deal kind of takes the cake.

[carstenb]

Having gone through this procedure last year preparatory to entering the US in the next month or so - I can say it is time consuming and requires a lot of effort.

But - the B1/B2 visa can be had through the embassy in either Barbados or the Bahamas - the waiting time there for the interview is about 2-3 weeks rather than the 2-3 months in most other places.

[Island Time O25]

A little historical note on visas and passports in general (by memory from a 35 year old class on European history ).

Originally (up to mid-late 19th c) most int'l travel was done with informal introduction letters, either from a gov't official or some respectable citizen from the traveler's country. With invention and advent of photography it became possible and thus desirable to issue documents with holder's photos, etc. But this still had to wait almost to 20th c or even WWI. So the first "passports" were documents issued by gov't authorities certifying that the holder was an upstanding citizen and that his travel was not to evade debts, criminal or other charges and that the gov't was standing behind this person (read the language on the 1st page of any passport left over from those days). So in fact this was "the visa" to enter another country as far as everyone was concerned. If you had a passport issued by your own gov't you were good enough to be admitted to any other country.

The visas as we know them entered the scene much later when travel was liberalized by relatively affordable rail and ship travel. Still not cheap and a filter for travel by less than middle class but still affordable to many more people than before. Thus came the clamor for more passports to be issued and of course with that came the inevitable instances of issuance to less then "upstanding citizens". That plus WWI and all that it entailed created the need for visas as we know them today. But even those were not very prevalent until WWII and thereafter.

So basically, from historical POV, "visa free travel" is not some "new and improved" way to travel but a return to the basic concept of freedom of travel and Western society's concept of freedoms in general.

[s/v Jedi]

The trick is to do this in a place that is used by sailors frequently, so that the embassy or consulate employees understand this and are used to it. Here in Panama, even though it is a bureaucratic procedure, it is relatively quick and painless. Just do as they instruct and it'll be okay. Unless you're a terrorist of-course. Asking on this forum or checking websites like Noonsite will probably come up with the best options for your intended route.

The ferry to Fajardo trick was never really legal, because the visa waiver based on the ESTA program is a single-entry document. It becomes invalid when you exit US territory.

So now I understand why some are charged more than others; Aussies have to pay $360 because their own government also charges a lot of money to US citizens (I only paid $120). I saw something similar in Trinidad where US citizens had to pay double for a visa extension.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Having gone through this procedure last year preparatory to entering the US in the next month or so - I can say it is time consuming and requires a lot of effort.

But - the B1/B2 visa can be had through the embassy in either Barbados or the Bahamas - the waiting time there for the interview is about 2-3 weeks rather than the 2-3 months in most other places.

The wait time in Nassau is currently 2 calendar days; processing time 3 working days. Looks like you can get through the whole process there in a week.



https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en.html

[Browning]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

Citizens of EU countries are VISA free into the US. Could have something to do with apparent or possible one-way entry since he is entering by boat.

This is so plain wrong on so many levels.

[bletso]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

The Americans are not being paranoid, they are being careful.

No, as selling fear is big business in the US and has grown exponentially since 911.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by bletso

No, as selling fear is big business in the US and has grown exponentially since 911.

Even if being sold fear, it's better than being terrorized and slaughtered in the streets. Do you realize that in some cities the gangs go through the streets, pull people from their houses and behead them on the spot? Because of their religion?!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Even if being sold fear, it's better than being terrorized and slaughtered in the streets. Do you realize that in some cities the gangs go through the streets, pull people from their houses and behead them on the spot? Because of their religion?!

And.. in some cities folk walk into schools and slaughter kids.. because there's no gun control.. the world is full of nutters.. just gotta live.. or die with that fact..