US Visa

[Wojo]

This is more for Aussie sailors but please throw any information at me....if I'm travelling to the US from Australia to pick up my boat from Los Angeles, can I enter under the Visa Waiver Program or do I need a B2 visa.

I'll only be going on a one way ticket and sailing her back. The travel agent didn't want to sell me a one way airline ticket until I found out.

Any ICE agents on here or any ideas???

Cheers

George

P.S Of course I'll get the formal notifications but I'll get them in a few days time.

[Zanshin]

The wording reads that the visa waiver program canot be use when arriving in the US via a yacht and that a visa is necessary. It does not specify that you cannot leave on a yacht. I found a german website describing how someone has done that, and if your I-94 form is not taken when checking out how you need to send it to a specific address.

[Wojo]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

The wording reads that the visa waiver program canot be use when arriving in the US via a yacht and that a visa is necessary. It does not specify that you cannot leave on a yacht. I found a german website describing how someone has done that, and if your I-94 form is not taken when checking out how you need to send it to a specific address.

Sort of correct..it has to be a recognised airline...the way I read it is that you need a return ticket.....but I only need a oneway ticket cause I'm sailing back....

Yeh I got home and found I still had the visa in my passport....sent it back so hopefully I shouldn't have a problem (shouldn't..lol)

[Zanshin]

The strange thing is that since I got my new "tourist" visa I have been asked on each entry "why do you have a visa" and when I say "I have a boat" they nod, stamp the passport and wave me on. All except one time, when the inspector turned out to be an avid sailor and wanted do discuss sloop vs. ketch - at first I assumed that he was checking whether or not I really knew anything about boats (which I don't) but then I realized he really was an avid sailor and enjoyed talking "shop". I think the hundred or so people in the line behind me at Dublin airport weren't quite so impressed, though.

[Wojo]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

The strange thing is that since I got my new "tourist" visa I have been asked on each entry "why do you have a visa" and when I say "I have a boat" they nod, stamp the passport and wave me on. All except one time, when the inspector turned out to be an avid sailor and wanted do discuss sloop vs. ketch - at first I assumed that he was checking whether or not I really knew anything about boats (which I don't) but then I realized he really was an avid sailor and enjoyed talking "shop". I think the hundred or so people in the line behind me at Dublin airport weren't quite so impressed, though.

well those 100 people should take up sailing to understand..lol

[Zanshin]

The airlines are responsible for paying return flights for passengers that are refused entry. Therefore they are the ones who often enforce that round-trip ticket rule so that they don't lose out. Most of the time 1-way international tickets are actually more expensive than round-trip ones; I have never found a cheap 1-way to the USA. So you might have to bite the bullet and get a round-trip ticket to appease the airline and just not use the return leg. Or if you get a good one-way ticket to the USA then go and buy a (very, very expensive) round-trip ticket from the USA back to Oz that is fully refundable and get your refund after entering the US. This ticket is most likely going to have to be full-fare and run around 3-5K$ Australian.

It only took me a couple of days to get my multiple re-entry visa in Sydney - all it did was cost a pretty penny.

[Pelagic]

About One way tickets.

I used to run into problems all the time where my crew of (16) would be flying home for vacation then rejoin in same country with just return portion or meet up with the yacht in another country.

Many times the airlines would say that they were “required” by local Immigration for all foreign passengers to have an onward flight.

As Master, I just made up a “form” letter on proper stationary, embossed with ship’s seal and stamp, basically “indemnifying the airlines from any costs of repatriation as a result of this seaman rejoining his ship” then giving crew and ship particulars.

My crew had instructions to give that to an airline supervisor if there was a problem at the airport

This seemed to satisfy the airlines and there was never a problem with Immigration as they could see all of the entry/exit stamp’s with yacht’s name in their passport.

[Skipper Tobler1]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

The wording reads that the visa waiver program canot be use when arriving in the US via a yacht and that a visa is necessary. It does not specify that you cannot leave on a yacht. I found a german website describing how someone has done that, and if your I-94 form is not taken when checking out how you need to send it to a specific address.

can you please submit me that german homepage. I also plan to only leave the US with the yacht sailing to the bahamas.