Hows this for a fucking dilemma.

Won a Holiday for me and 3 friends through Jack Daniels. Weekend trip to Tennessee, flights and accommodation paid for plus the best bit, tickets to Jack Daniels birthday gig, only 250 people in attendance and Plan B is the headline act.

See here for details http://www.jacksbirthday.co.uk/Default.aspx

Found out today I won, flying out on the 14th October, only 3 weeks away. Slight problem, USA are pussies and I doubt I will get a visa. Last time I applied for one was just over 10 years ago about a week before 9/11 happened, took 6 weeks to come back as refused. Haven't been in trouble since and all convictions are now spent but will probably still have problems. Thought about taking the risk and lying on the forms, i've been told they don't have access to UK criminal records... but, i've also been told that they will have a record of me being refused a visa before which could lead to a sticky situation at the border.

Anyway, thought i'd share my good fortune and dilemma with you bitches and see if you have any suggestions. So far, i've considered asking Jack Daniels if they'll swap the prize with the second place prize of a pool table, or even maybe listing it on ebay, but at such short notice, its doubtful it would sell. The prize has to be claimed by 26th Sept, next fucking week, with scans of the passports of all 4 passengers along with either visa's or proof of eligibility under the visa waiver programme.

Do you mean an ESTA or a visa? If visa, why would you need it? If ESTA I think the process is mostly automated so should flag on application - but you're still likely to get tripped up at immigration

There was a link to the ESTA process in the prize notification. We have to fill it in ourselves as there is no travel agent, it states only to apply for ESTA if you are eligible for the visa waiver program, which I am not. 2 out of the 4 initial questions on the ESTA application tripped me up, 1 any criminal convictions, 2 ever been refused a visa.

Yes on both counts so I am not eligible under visa waiver program therefore need a visa.

Bad news DC your are 100% unlikely to get in, best thing to do is let me go in your place . But if you feel like giving it a go as long as it wasn't a drug offence(import/export & 5years in prison) or a Nazi war criminal you should be OK, it should give you an answer fairly quick. it does ask have you ever had a visa cancelled but you never had one to cancel right?


edit just reread the esta and it does ask
"Have you ever been arrested or convicted for an offense or crime involving moral turpitude or a violation related to a controlled substance; or have been arrested or convicted for two or more offenses for which the aggregate sentence to confinement was five years or more; or have been a controlled substance trafficker; or are you seeking entry to engage in criminal or immoral activities?"

"Have you ever been denied a U.S. visa or entry into the U.S. or had a U.S. visa canceled?"
If you are honest and its all in your past you may have a chance

Yup, thats what i'm hoping. Still doesn't give me long to get to the US Embassy to find out for sure about the visa. I could lie through the ESTA and get authorized to travel but it doesn't get me through immigration once i've landed. I'd sooner not make a 10 hour flight only to get banged up and sent home on the next flight.

Come to think of it reading the whole moral turpitude, I probably should answer yes but I never do and I've been to the states plenty of times.

you do know that you cant drink in Lynchburg right?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynchburg,_Tennessee

good luck with the passport Ronnie Kray

Ha. No problem with the passport Einstein, they give British Passports away with happy meals these days, its the visa for entry into your shitty third world country thats the problem.

you need a visa just for a fuckin visit here now?...unreal...too bad youre not mexican

couldnt you be 'economical' with the truth? least if you get pulled at the airport, you sit in front of a real person
who may understand and stamp your papers.

i dunno though, tricky.

well done on the win

In this climate of paranoia and increased security at border controls I'd advise being honest, it's unlikely you could fly under the radar. If your sentences have been "spent" and were several years ago and not for anything serious, why would there be an issue?

Any luck get this fixed up?

Nope, i've sold it to 4 very lucky people. Just got the confirmation that its ok for me to do so along with more details of the prize. It had to be claimed by today and I wouldn't have been able to get to the US embassy in time for a required interview. I'm starting to wish I just fucking risked it.



To torture myself further I checked out the hotel, its a 4 star and costs around £120 a night. The prize in total has got to be worth about 4 grand. I won't say how much i got for it but I will say they got a fucking bargain.

That's tough at least you got some cash for it. It well worth getting the visa sorted out for future use, lot of cool places in the US to go Las Vegas and New York are my favourite. But be prepare to see a lot of hugely fat(Las Vegas) and crazy people (New York) when you do eventually get there.