Can anyone explain to me about visas for transit through USA

[justgotosleepffs]

I'm planning family trip to Mexico. All the cheapest flights have a stopover in the USA, normally for about 3 hours.

I'm finding the US embassy website unclear regarding if we need a visas. It looks like we can get something calks a C1 transit visa or a visa waiver, but its not clear how much they cost, and if I'll need to send passports off.

If I'm going to have to pay £100+ per person for the privilege of sitting in a US airport then that's a big chunk out of our flight budget and I might need to rethink the trip.

Does anyone have experience of this and could explain what is needed?
Thanks!

Cant you just get an ESTA?

I had this transit a few years ago, an ESTA was sufficient which costs about £15.

No idea if you need a visa for a stop-over in a US airport, but if you do, you don't need a visa, just an ESTA. You can fill it in online - only do the US government one, it costs about 30 US dollars and is valid for about 2 years.

Oh, and you don't need to send your passports either, you just print out the ESTA and bring it with you. You'll be in their computer system anyway.

Enjoy Mexico! I love it.

You need an esta. The hassle of immigration (you can't transit in the US like you could say in other countries) and collecting bags would need to be worth the saving.

Have you looked at Tui flights? Package holidays are often good value too.

As others said. Complete the Esta form. There is a part to select if you are in transit through the USA , it will ask you where you are travelling.

I always take a printout of my ESTA, but that’s because I’m ridiculously over-cautious. Once it’s been authorised, they know who you are…

You all need an ESTA.

If you can fly direct rather than transit through the US, do so.

Even three hours transit time may not be enough particularly if you are transitting through Miami (you could be in line at immigration there for at least an hour then you have to collect your bags and put them on the transfer belt. It may well be that your second flight leaves from another terminal and they will not wait for you. Boarding for such flights too close around 20 minutes before departure). The clock will start ticking on you all as soon as your plane lands in the US.

Persons from visa waiver countries (the UK is but one of many such nations) are not required to obtain C-1 transit visas.

As others have said, you need an ESTA: and probably longer than a 3 hour transit time to clear US customs

You need an ESTA unless you are in a group not eligible for one. In which case you are into the realm of visas.

This is the ONLY Esta site to use , which is what you need ( assume British nationals )
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/esta.
There are lots of phishing sites charging way more and the US govenment is now clamping down on these by cancelling even granted ESTA's obtained through them, this only often comes to light at check in.

Each one costs exactly $21 and lasts 2 years.
However if your passport expires before the Esta you need to get a new one as each ESTA is connected to your passport no.
Always check if you need a visa for transiting countries when you travel.
Take a copy ( screenshot is ok ) of Esta with you but it's not needed to
show airline staff.
You also need a return/onward ticket , ( transit to 3rd country is ok ) leaving the USA within 90 days exactly. If you only go to the USA on an Esta it can't be a one way ticket, airline staff check this.

😂

esta.cbp.dhs.gov

Thanks for all this helpful information.
Yes, we are on a tight budget so can't afford direct flights. I guess i will look out for longer stopover times to ensure we have enough time to get through. Presumably if I book rhrough an airline rather then an agent then I would be covered if we miss the transfer? Do you normally have yo collect your luggage between flights or is it transferred automatically?
Thanks

To clear US customs you will have to collect your bags and then check them in again. It’s not a quick process!

I would focus on keeping an eye out for direct flights or changing in Europe if this is cheaper (so uk - europe- Mexico). If on a through ticket you will check your bags all the way through and just be transit in whatever European country you transit through.

if you travel through Atlanta Airport ( ATL ) on Delta ( their hub airport ) from the UK they will check your luggage through to Mexico without you having to collect it under ITI ( International transit to Internations transit ) rules , both flights have to be one the SAME ticket.
Avoid getting seperate UK-USA and USA-Mexico tickets , even if cheaper.
If you miss 1st flight e.g seperate tickets could lead to missing connection as you have seperate contracts with 2 airlines.
Or leave min 4 hours between, immigrations in USA can take ages.

Different airlines have different hub airports, in this case Atlanta is Delta's but if you flew with them through e.g New York ITI would not apply and you'd have to collect bags and clear them through customs.
Check with different carriers e.g AA or UA what their hub is and should be the same ITI rules
Takes out the stress.
Most airlines now code share flights.
If not sure which airline operates the route the flight no gives it away.
If flight no has 4 digits it's not their own plane but the code share partner's.

Hope all makes sense.

If you book the whole flight through an airline they do have a duty to get you there but that’s not much consolation if you miss your flight and there’s nothing available until the next day. I’ve missed a flight connection (set by the airline) due to the long waiting times at immigration and, on another occasion, had to ask the airline to book us on a later connection due to the ridiculously short transfer time they had suggested.

Try to avoid USA transit. We had to go through the whole immigration process on both in-& outbound & nearly missed our connection. Our luggage was booked through, so we didn't have to collect it.
There was an option to fly UK-Mexico direct, plus internal flight to where we were going. However, DH's workplace took the USA option as it was c.£10 cheaper !!