i can't think of a quirky title cos i'm too cranky

46 days before we fly from our current home, Brisbane, to our new home, Vancouver, it has been brought to our attention that the United States has again changed their travel visa requirements.

“As of January 12, 2009, a valid ESTA approval is required for all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to travel to the United States. The Department of Homeland Security, Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is a free, automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the VWP... The VWP enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa” (read more here).

Well, we’re simply catching a connecting flight in Los Angeles so we’ll be eligible under the VWP right? WRONG!

Apparently now time spent in Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands counts towards the maximum of 90 days stay allowed under the VWP. Accordingly we need to apply for a B-1/B-2 visa which requires the following of us:

1. Submit digital photo and Electronic Visa Application Form (print confirmation).

2. Take said confirmation to Australia Post and pay application fee and insurance fee.

3. Make appointment with US Consular Office and pay appointment fee.

4. After receiving confirmation of our appointment we will then have to book a flight to Sydney – why? Because the US Consular Office serving the State of Queensland is actually in Sydney, New South Wales. Zanne called the information line (at the cost of $3.00 per minute) to query how in the world this could be, and she received the answer: “that’s just the way it is”.

So how much will this cost us (in Australian dollars)?? Let’s see:

Application fee and insurance fee: $216.80 x 2 = $433.60
Appointment fee: $14.00
Flights for the two of us: approx. $400.00
Total: $847.60

In comparison, our Working Holiday Visa for Canada, the country in which we intend to live, required that we each simply submit an online application and pay an application fee of $190.00 - total $380.00.

How crazy is this whole thing?!

So, the bottom line is, even though we won't be living in the US, we still need to get a stupid effing, expensive visa from them and “that’s just the way it is”.

Yours crankily,

Shan

PS. When you visit France you don't need to obtain a visa for every country in Europe, just sayin'...