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We have some friends from the UK that will be visiting us next month on Water Island. We would like to take them to the Baths/BVI. However, we (and they) are still really struggling to find out for sure whether our friends will have a problem visiting BVI - rather, a problem getting back into US territory. Their itinerary is London->Tampa->STT->Tampa (for a week)->back home to London (or Eastbourne Sussex for STTResident!)
We have ‘heard’ from a few people that it can be difficult, as they enter the United States with a visa waiver, and if they then go to BVI it would be viewed by immigration as they've exited the United States and then may have to ‘re-apply’ for visa to re-enter and the visa waiver programme may not be available if we enter from BVI not British mainland. Our friends have been researching but haven’t been able to find a reliable source of data yet.
Does anyone have any guidance or know of an authority I may be able to contact to get an answer?
Thanks in advance for your help.
ok. I was able to get my question answered and am providing the information here for anyone who might be interested: I called 800-375-5283 Visa Services telephone number. Another phone number 202-663-1225 (Visa - Washington, DC)
The answer can be found:
http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html
And, specifically, the language reads:
* 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 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.
Of course, we are printing this policy information and also carrying the telephone numbers with us in case there are any.....uh......difference of opinion....with the Immigration officials in STT.
Rojako -
"...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 original admission period." ????
Its that word "generally" that would have me scared to death! Why can't they be more exact - like "will" be readmitted...
Good observation! I was worried about this wording as well. I asked Samantha who is the lady from the State Department that answered the phone/question. She stated that the word "generally" is used to allow for the case where time may have expired on the Visa. For example, if the Visa was for time periord March 1-March 3 and the person tries to re-enter the US on March 4th.
For your information, we took that trip to the BVI with our friends from UK and it was smooth sailing through customs & Immigration for them. No problems at all.
