What do i do.. tell my mam now or later..

2 of my mates who have various charges for things like fighting and drugs, both went to new york for new year without going to London for a Visa with no problems

well thats given me more faith with thos 2 posts than u did earlier

I've emailed the us embassy asking them about the processing time for my visa just to check if there is any possible way of me getting/going with the visa and if not.. it's either cancell and tell my parents why, or cross my fingers and hope for the best.

ah i'm getting more comfortable now.. maybe what the bitches (no sexism here, they are arseholes at times) at work said is true..

Would you do me a big favour and get a bit of info for me?

Ask them if they checked up about getting a visa at all, and what records they have. Or cautions etc etc. And when they were done and how old they are/were.

Cheers cos this will make me feel so much better and clear my head a bit.

I heard that they let you in but for some cases they make you report to a police station each night.

Tbh tho, the amount of ppl going in and out of that country every day is phenominal, and you only have a caution, Its doubtful that they're gonna knock you back for a two week trip in which you'll spend money!

As long as your not charged with having offensive wepons or planning to blow up buildings im sure youll be fine.

that's what i thought to begin with.. then after reading all the official stuff I started shitting myself thinking I couldt go.. and now i'm beginning to think its all the same hype as godskitchen. Admiting to offenses before u go is like putting your drugs in the amnesty box, then getting caught if u dont have a visa is like 'theres sniffer dogs that will find you on the other side of this gate'. All there to scare you into giving in I reckon.

"Tbh tho, the amount of ppl going in and out of that country every day is phenominal, and you only have a caution, Its doubtful that they're gonna knock you back for a two week trip in which you'll spend money!"

I'm just curious as to how they find you amongst the crowds of people coming through. I wouldn't think they could find out about a caution by me giving them my passport. I know u do fingerprints etc if u go through with a visa but i'm not sure if u do it without.

I've been to america 3 times already and it was just a case of passport checks. Might have all changed now though

As from....http://www.usembassy.org.uk



Under United States visa law people who have been arrested are required to declare the arrest when applying for a visa. If the arrest resulted in a conviction, the individual may be permanently ineligible to receive a visa. In order to travel, a waiver of the permanent ineligibility is required. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to United States visa law. Therefore, even travelers with a spent conviction are required to declare the arrest and/or conviction.


So i think you have to be convicted.

How Long you going for? coz I think its visa free up to 6 months init?

it's just 2 weeks.

I've checked all of the stuff regarding my situation on the us embassy site.

It's any arrest, not just convictions. The reasons for it are unclear to me now though because as i pointed out before, when people have got to customs in the us people checking have been like 'wtf they made u get a visa for that little offense?' so i'm thinking its a mix of getting easy money for the london embassy, and a way of getting records of everyone who requires a visa as there isn't one pre-made. Obviously when you go down and say u need a visa you are added to a list. If you decide not to go down and don't tell them ur meant to have a visa, they don't seem to have a way of catching you out unless you've done someting major like rape, murder, robberies etc. or have a warrant for your arrest. This is just theory though but as people have said here, and on another website, it doesnt seem like their methods for controlling who goes in and out of the country are as good as their methods used to scare you into thinking you're fucked if you don't travel down to see them and pay £60 for a visa (+£10 for it to be delivered).

Aye, seems like you should just go and not tell em.

Then your mam will never know :angel2:

Cost of a holiday to florida including theme park tickets: £1000+

Cost of new clothes: £200

Bit of excercise down the jim to tone up before you go: £50

The look on your parents face when they see you get cuffed and deported straight out of the country for a class A drugg offense: PRICELESS

I'm eagerly awaiting this email response from the embassy. It's going to determine whether or not I will have to lie to the bastards. I hope someone goes loopy whilst i'm getting through customs.. just to direct their attention away from me that little bit.

oh and good luck fellah!

Probs not the best way to talk about your parents to be honest.

I was refering to the americans who's forms i will be signing

if it helps i had a caution, it wasnt for carrying class A drugs like, but it was for assault, and went to america no problem, if you dont notify them of the arrest, how do they know about it? they can't check all the criminal records of every person to come through the airport surely??

hope it goes ok for you

thats the way.. keep telling me stuff like this and it'll be fine.

I'v learnt my lesson now to never trust any official stuff on a website such as the US Embassy of london.

I'm pretty sure they wont be able to check everyones record who comes into the US each day.. I'm hoping all this fuss about needing a visa is just a tricky way of scaring people into letting them know since they dont have a way of doing it themselves.

When did u go there btw? and what happens when u go through customs? (and did you answer 'no' to having been arrested on the form u have to fill in on the plane?)

All this help is very appreciated btw!