To make a long story as short as possible: For special professions – like journalists, diplomats, business people – and groups - e.g. au-pair or exchange students – there are still visas required. For regular visitors – thanks to the Visa Waiver Program – a stay of 90 days maximum is possible without a visa. Only a fee of $ 14 has to be paid for registration with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Once approved, ESTA is valid for any number of trips in the course of two years.
After 9/11 the U.S. Government became pretty strict in regard to journalists traveling in America and they started to ask more questions about the purpose of a trip at immigration and, eventually, made a visa obligatory. Therefore we applied for our first visas in 2004. At that time we still had to show up at the General Consulate in Frankfurt for the so-called "visa interview". Train trip, hotel accommodation in addition to the regular visa costs were annoying. In 2009 the Munich Consulate had reopened again for certain visa services (esp. Non-Immigrant Visa) and we could make an appointment there. Now, in 2014, a renewal was due again and in April we started to collect confirmation letters of our main publishers, to copy contracts and to get the right photos, which had to be square (5x5 cm). That regulation required that pics couldn’t be made cheap in a photo booth but needed to be taken in a real studio. They cost 13,90 Euro per person, I look about 10 years older on the pic, and we can throw away all of them now, because in Germany official photos for documents have to be rectangular.
All this done, we were eventually able to start filling out the application forms on the internet – same for renewal as for a new visa. The form alone took us about 45 minutes, working simultaneously on two computers. Fortunately we didn’t make a mistake, didn’t hit the wrong key and our computers didn’t break down. Same things to fill out over and over again and dubious questions like "Have you ever dealt with drugs?", "Have you prostituted yourself?" or "Have you been in prison before?"... But, to make things worse, scanning our expensive pictures even took us longer. Peter’s ears proved to be too big and my hairdo too fluffy. At the end we succeeded to fit it into the mask, though most of hair and ears were missing. Not sure anymore at what point, probably at the very beginning, we had to pay for the applications by credit card: 120 Euro each (no matter if new or renewal).
Next step: to make an appointment. In contrast to former times - where waiting time was several weeks, if not months, it is now possible to get appointments fast. Not sure, whether they sort applicants by kinds of visas or how they handle the appointments, but there are only several days and hours a week available. For us an appointment about two weeks later fit best, but we only got choices between 7 and 9:15 am. Meaning, we weren’t able to get a cheap train ticket (not available before 9 am), but had to take the car. In the U.S.A. you would have thought they automatically provide parking for the duration of the interview, but you’re way off! Well, at least it became a bargain to make an appointment by phone or internet: It costs only a regular phone call now instead of approximately 10 Euro per person formerly.
We started early, got up at 6:30 am and left the house at 7:15 am. We were parked at about 8:15 am and when we came around the corner to the Consulate at not quite 8:30 am, there was a line of at least ten people in front of this flat modernistic, custom-built office building from the 1950s. Even at that early time, we had the unusual pleasure of having about 85 deg. F. and cloudless skies. Well, a rather grumpy (German) officer checked us off on his appointment list, but we were told to wait outside, in the sun, without a bench, on the concrete walkway, no shade, no water. Groups of two at a piece were slowly admitted into the building for the security check, while the line outside grew longer and longer and temps higher and higher. At 9 am it was our turn. With rather old-fashioned security check equipment they checked our items while we walked through the "gate". Since we couldn’t leave the car key in the car for obvious reasons, the officer remarked harshly that we aren't allowed to bring in "electronic devices" and have to leave the key at the reception. I had a tiny little bag with "female accessories" like a hankie, lip balm, sewing kit, duct tape etc. and after having it emptied in front of the officer he told me to better leave it at the post as well.
Finally, in the waiting area (in a different building): A plain wooden table with a computer on top blocked the passage and a lady and a gentleman – speaking good german – controlled our printed appointment confirmations, checked them on the computer and asked rather briskly for our confirmation letters/documents ("Is that all?"). The lady only took the paper sheets (not the portfolios) and wrapped a rubber band around them and the passports before she asked us to bring this package to counter no. 1, a couple of steps away, where a female asian-looking officer took them and told us "to have a seat". Rows of uncomfortable chairs, one behind the other, standing there, a not really state-of-the-art loudspeaker system and a couple of brochures plus AFN (American Forces Network) on a high hung up TV screen made up for a very 1970s decor and atmosphere. Fortunately the A/C was working and there were bathrooms. About 20 people were in the room, mostly students.
Our names were called a little later to deliver finger prints (again!) and I was asked whether I always had the same family name (yes!), followed by "Take a seat, please". Another 10 to 15 minutes past until we were called to show up at Counter 4 in the " Privacy, please"-section, exactly looking the same as the other four counters, with shot-proofed glass windows and a tiny little slit to edge papers through. Each of us had to give one (!) single fingerprint first to prove that we are the right ones showing up. Then the officer there asked us about our next visit to the U.S. (already on the form) and to show her our press passes. This so-called "visa interview" took about three minutes and ended with "Your visas are approved, you’ll get your passports back by mail in about a week". Formerly you had to deliver a stamped and addressed envelope as well, but now postage fee is generously paid by the U.S. Government. Out at 9:45 am, parking for two hours cost an additional 4,50 Euro.
There was a lot of talk recently at the big tourism convention (IPW) in Chicago, and Brand USA – the new nationwide Tourism Organisation – bragged about the new politeness and shorter lines at American immigration counters at airports, about the new Global Entry program (a U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP program), "that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States" at special kiosks. Right now it’s in it’s pilot phase in Germany, by the way. Also, even equipped with visa, finger-printed and photographed, interviewed and triple-checked, you have to stand in the regular waiting lines at immigration to get your fingers printed and your photo taken again. Why the heck do I pay that much money and invest that much time every five years for an I-Visa (a journalists’ visa) when I could simply have stated "I am on vacation"?
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