Why we will be queueing longer to get into the USA

[Susie]

http://www.travelmail.co.uk/travel/Why-we'll-be-queing-for-even-longer-to-get-into-the-US.html?article_id=29303




Why we'll be queueing for even longer to get into the US

10th September 2007

The United States is struggling to find the right balance between protecting its borders and attracting visitors - last year, the number of British travellers heading across the pond fell by four per cent.

This is in no small part due to all the negative publicity associated with getting into America. One of the most off-putting factors is the often horrendously long wait to get through immigration.

Efforts are being made to make the process less of an ordeal - Disney has been advising officials on how to manage queues and better welcome tourists - but the queues may be about to get even worse.

Since 2004, foreigners have had their index fingers electronically scanned when they enter the US. But, if trials at major airports this autumn go to plan, from next year all visitors aged between 14 and 79 will need to have all their fingers scanned.

The aim is to make the new system as speedy as the present one (about 15 seconds), but common sense suggests it can only lengthen queues.

The US government is also seriously considering levying a $10 (£5) charge on anyone travelling under its Visa Waiver Program, or VWP, whereby citizens of certain countries can enter without a visa. The extra revenuewould fund security improvements and marketing campaigns to attract more travellers.

So, put another way, the world's richest country is thinking of introducing a tourist tax, to, er, encourage more people to visit. Where's that brochure for Mexico?

See www.usembassy.org.uk to find out if you can enter the US under the VWP - most British holidaymakers can, but there are various requirements.

[kirtida8]

So, put another way, the world's richest country is thinking of introducing a tourist tax, to, er, encourage more people to visit. Where's that brochure for Mexico?


Say's it all really.

[chris]

So if Disney is advising on queue management, when do thet Fast Passes start?
$5 'entry fee'? Since when did morals or ethics or anything else stand between the Aemrican and getting his hands on a dollar. Just about sums up this god forsaken place.

[peter gold]

Chris if you think it is that bad IMHO a one way flight on Virgin is very cheap!

[Kriz1]

Its used to cost me an arm and a leg to come to the USA many years ago...my daughters first few trips needed a 10 year visa...I was waiting in a queue in the heat for ages and ages ....never give it a thought...you're on holiday...if you're put off by the time it takes to travel and the cost..you should stick to Blackpool...

[chris]

Peter,
If the housing market here wasn't in the toilet, you probably wouldn't see me for dust.
I feel my comment about the ethics of this country are pretty accurate. I have never come across a nation that will prostitute itself so much for the almighty dollar.
Any place with half a brain that honestly wants to encourage people to its nation, and reverse a down trend in visitors doesn't stick them with extra charges. IMHO
They should stop regarding outsiders as idiots who have no rights and are fair game to be crapped on. One day they wake up and see the light. IMHO

[peter gold]

Chris,
I agree with your last post 100%.
I understand where you are coming from in wanting to leave, when you can sell.
This is why an open forum shows a balanced view to the public.
I see the US shortcomings but prefer them to live in Blighty.

[Susie]

Peter,
If the housing market here wasn't in the toilet, you probably wouldn't see me for dust.
I feel my comment about the ethics of this country are pretty accurate. I have never come across a nation that will prostitute itself so much for the almighty dollar.
Any place with half a brain that honestly wants to encourage people to its nation, and reverse a down trend in visitors doesn't stick them with extra charges. IMHO
They should stop regarding outsiders as idiots who have no rights and are fair game to be crapped on. One day they wake up and see the light. IMHO

Yes, and smell the coffee,

Hate to say this but I am convinced there will be an almighty resession in/aorund Oct 2008, unless the travel and tourisim and housing market gets a much needed boost

Oh and reward legal E 2 ers with a pathway to green card !

[Susie]

Chris,
I agree with your last post 100%.
I understand where you are coming from in wanting to leave, when you can sell.
This is why an open forum shows a balanced view to the public.
I see the US shortcomings but prefer them to live in Blighty.



It would be very interesting to hear, exactly how Brits feel in the UK, I bet they would love to swop places with us, given half the chance.

To be honnest, every country has its good and bad bits to living in that country, even with its warts, I have found America a much nicer place to live.

To most people I know living in the USA, its only this b---dy immigration issues that stand in our way of having peace of mind and getting on with working , enjoying and living our lives to the full.

[Kriz1]

I don't know if its just immigration....we don't have much of a worry on that part...but job loss and health care is a biggie for us....

[Munish]

It would be very interesting to hear, exactly how Brits feel in the UK, I bet they would love to swop places with us, given half the chance.

Depends who you ask. Personally, I would not swap places with any of you who are having problems, whether because of immigration or as a result of the market. I would only be willing to swap with someone provided minimum requirements are met - such as green card or a clear path to one, allowing me to work freely in my field of choice and no bans of family members.

Also, anywhere in the USA is not the destination of my choosing either. It has to be NY (Manhattan) or DC (not VA, but would consider MD) otherwise I choose London, particularly as we are in a strong rising market (despite the effect of the whole subprime mortgage market collapse last month). For others the motivation may be more different and so might be more flexible.

[SHEILA 13]

Well said Munish,agree with you 100%

[peter gold]

When America sneezes the world catches a cold. Europe has a load of money tied up in the US and there time is coming so do not be too complacent about London property prices IMHO

[Munish]

Not about being complacent but speculation - the markets will always move up and down so you have to assess where you think things stand. When the US sneezed last month stock prices fell, because people weren't sure what effect that would have had on investment funds and will not know for a couple of months yet - hopefully all the bad news is not priced into the market. On property that is whole different kettle of fish - fuelled largely by the buy-to-let market and foreign investors rather than dodgy credit. Will be very interesting to see where things stand in 2008. I was even suprised to read this article a couple of months back. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5c2abd50-1834-11dc-b736-000b5df10621.html The question to ask is how long can it last.

But for me, it's also and largely about lifestyle and friends. Tried Birmingham, UK, for three months, visited many place in the USA but was not for me. Anyway, what draws me to DC/NY/London is both the lifestyle and the fact I have many friends in both those cities.

[chris]

I think the term 'dodgy credit' is a little offensive to someone who may with all their best intentions just fallen on hard times or been misold by the mortgages brokers in the US.
The major problem the US has is that it is a consumer driven economy (over 70% to be factual). If the average joe stops spending, we have problems. For the past two years, the average joe has had to cope with US gas prices rolling around like a roller coaster and their incomes year on year falling comparitievly. Couple that with the housing problem and the consumers just don't know what to do and are simply doing nothing and holding off spending. That is not just on homes it is all the trickle down of the big ticket items associated with housing and now even GM are saying publicly they are being hurt now. All that is oil on troubled water as far as the US economy is concerned. As a manufacturer, the US is hevaily into defence industry stuff, which of course any peace dividend does no favors for. It actually works better for the US defence industries if we have lots of wars or conflicts going on. Guess what we have going on?

[Bayfield]

Rang my Mum today, just wanted to check the final score.

She said better to be a foreigner in a strange land than a stranger in your own.

Housing market varies significantly by area, whats happening in Florida is not representative. Talked to a general contractor yesterday, asked when was his busy time, January to December. He mentioned that their had been a 11% reduction in the number of permits, but a 50% increase in the value of those permits.

[Munish]

I think the term 'dodgy credit' is a little offensive to someone who may with all their best intentions just fallen on hard times or been misold by the mortgages brokers in the US.

I use the term "dodgy" from the bank's point of view and not the borrowers. Even you acknowledge a lot of misselling by brokers here; that's what I am referring to. Many borrowers will borrow what they can and the more that is available the better, particularly if it is for another investment - I'm no different. However, the bank's have been dodgy in giving out credit willy nilly assuming the house prices would always be on the rise and sustain their own lending and that borrowers will be able to deal with repayments. The smaller banks needed a way to get funds for their own investments; what is needed here is better banking regulation in the USA.

Even the larger banks were aware of the opportunities in the subprime mortgage market but saw problems as much as two or three years ago. On the one hand they saw a lucrative market, but on the other they did not make this part of their main business because of the very high level of risk. As a result many brought out subsidiaries or set up clearly separate divisions to ensure their expsosure to the subprime mortgage was isolated. Don't take my comments as offensive - in any case I think that term "subprime" is no less offensive than the term "dodgy" as it blatantly categorises a "sub" set of borrowers.

[chris]

What appears to be happening in the US are the borrowers are being painted as the 'villains' in the piece, yet I firmly believe that the real 'villains' are and alsway will be the lenders, wheter they be banks or whoever. When we had the negative equity scenario in the UK in the 90's the banks got their hands slapped for lax lending, so what happens? Nothing and they keep on doing it. I see today that the Opposition are calling for better lending standards by the banks because of the high levels of consumer debt.
Ref Bayfields comment about Florida not being representative of the whole. To a point I would agree. There are 22 states with acute house market issues and Florida is sat at the top of the heap. There are 50 states, so that's a hefty percentage with problems. I don't doubt for one minute about the permit values, there is still a lot of money around. The rich will always get richer.

[Munish]

What appears to be happening in the US are the borrowers are being painted as the 'villains' in the piece

That is interesting. In the UK it seems the opposite is true. The Government is calling on the banks to lend more sensibly - the sympathy has been with the borrowers for some time because of the cost of housing is generally really high in the first place, particularly in London and particularly for essential workers such as teachers, police, nurses ets. The Government are under pressure to deliver low cost housing, which (as I mentioned a few weeks before) is never going to happen in the London area.

[Kriz1]

We could do with some low cost housing around here...builders get permits to build if they add a few low cost houses to the community....but if they don't do that they are fined I believe something in the hundreds per house they don't sell as low income homes...a joke....

[chris]

One of the inthings in the US is 'worker housing' Ugh.. what a term.
Basically they say that their should be low cost housing available for people to enter the market easily. However, I for one think whilst a laudable effort, could be handled more effectively by giving people who need access to that type of housing access to better finaicning programs that would allow them to house slect from the normla marketplace, rather than some 'special' type of house in some 'special' area. Lets face it, once it's been sold to the buyer, it no longer becomes a worker house and becomes part of the normal housing stock.
I also find rather distasteful and almost discrimitory the view that somehow police, fire, nurses, teachers and local govt are all somehwo low paid and in need of preferential tretament compared to the rest of the great unwashed. I'm sorry buty I don't buy they are low paid. What they have by the bucketload compared to the average joe in the rivate sector is relative job security. As an ex UK civil servant who's been in the private sector for nearly 20 years I can speak with experience on both sides and say that govt employees couldn't spell recession, let alone understand what it means to be affected by it. $60,000pa in the private sector in a job that lasts 6 months due to redundancy is not as good as $40,000pa with the govt with a job for life. The banks love the latter folks from a lending standpoint. Who really needs the help??
Anyway after the past couple of days, oh to be paid the equivalent dollars in euros!!