Of my weekend jobs, the one I was dreading most was applying for the visas I need for my trip - not so much visas, the electronic authority to travel docs, or visa waver documentation needed to travel both in the United Kingdom, and daftly, for the United States, where I'll be for seven hours in transit.
Thankfully, the Schengen visa waiver requirements aren't kicking into next year, but after years of free entry into the UK, they're finally charging a flat visitors fee for a two-year period. And I was dreading the US documentation.
It turned out to be a tale of two processes.
Both put me back approximately $35 AUD.
The British process turned out to be friendly, easy, done on my mobile phone - take a photo of my passport - take a selfie of me (I didn't even change out of my dressing gown), got asked a few fundamental questions, paid the money and within two minutes my application was approved. I loved the program. The whole thing tool about fifteen minutes all up - a lot of the time was spent trying to take a selfie where I didn't look like Myra Hindley.
The American version of the same process was done on my laptop. It meant taking photos of my passport, uploading selfies, answering a lot more questions about my movements, providing links to my social media sites, then paying the money. The process was a bit more onerous than British one, but still pretty easy.
I'm also glad I got to tick the Transit box. I'm only in LA for seven hours. Seven long hours.
This one was approved in about an hour.
I do get that countries have complete say who comes in and out of their countries - but I also wonder as to why the States wants access to my social media sites.
I know I've been pretty quiet on some fronts of late - keeping some opinions to myself - a lot of this because I know I'll be travelling through America and it's easier to keep schtum than inflame the beast. You hear of the horror stories of people being locked up for the slightest of immigration infringements. Traveling through the States is disconcerting. (And if you ask why I went this longer route, at 55000 Frequent Flyer points and $250 it was a bargain. And an adventure).
Regardless, that's another job marked off the list.
My next task is to find a shower in LA in those seven hours of transit time. There are no lounges available inside the airport for my ticket type, nor a transit hotel in which you can rent a room for a few hours.
Ideas on how I might be able to freshen up after the long-haul flight from Australia would be most welcome.
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