Visa for USA- proceedure?

I have only ever visited the USA as a crew member of a merchant ship. From late December 2006 I will be in the Caribbean in my own yacht with the intention of visiting the USA from approx May 2007 onwards.Could someone please advise me (1) Can a Brit apply for a visa at an American Embassy in the Caribbean ( or must I obtain it in the UK?) (2) The voyage is from Barbados, Northwards,up to BVI and Puerto Rico. Has anyone obtained a visa in Puerto Rico?(3) I will be sailing from the UK in May 2006,so 12 months will separate departure from UK and arrival in USA. (4) Last question..will it be less hassle to fly home from the Canary Islands and get a visa in UK and apply for renewal on arrival in the US. Replies from any cruising Folk who "have the T shirt" gratefully received.

[David Shipton]

Hi,

I managed to obtain a visa in Barbados but if you apply outside the UK its only valid for 12 months. You cannot renew this whilst in the US as far as I am aware but you would need to check on that at the embassy.

If you get one from the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London it is valid for the life of your passport so this is the better bet if you have time in UK before you sail.

However, it isn't free, it was about £60 when I enquired about five years ago and you would have to go to London to queue up, possibly for hours. I have been told that the embassy staff are quite brusque bordering on the outright rude. Before anyone thinks that I am having a go at Uncle Sam I will say that my treatment at the British Embassy in Caracas a few years ago following a loss of my boat was anything but helpful!

Fair winds

David

[bvimatelot]

I had the "B1/B2" visa issued a long time ago and it was valid for 10 years: issued in London. Of course, my passport expired during this time so I had to carry the old one with the visa in it when ever I travelled to USA. I now live in BVI and have to renew: the nearest US Embassy/Consulate is Barbados, so I'm gonna have to schlep over there soon.

You can get a lot of details from their web-site (sorry, you'll have to search for it - I cant remember what it was) and book an appointment on-line. Even having booked, you need to get there very early in the morning since I think they use the "block-booking" system, like my dentist used to!!

You cannot get a Visa for any country, as far as I know, in the actual country - it has to be got from the Consulate/Embassy - so Puerto Rico, being a commonwealth of the USA wont work for you as there aint a US em bassy there.

cheers, Tony

Ref: Visa for USA. Bvimatelot and David Shipton thanks for the replies,you will notice that I have the computer skills of a small water melon.Under the circumstances I think a trip to London and a long wait will be the best course for me, before I leave the UK.I was under the impression that visas are now only issued for 90 days,but I'll take the tent and sleeping bag up to Grovesvenor Square and smile at them which might get me a visa ( or arrested!)