Police control of classified information

[Tom Thomson]

I had a multiple entry visa for quite a long time, and continued to use
after the Visa Waiver program was introduced until one day I flew into LA
and an immigration official let me in but stamped cancelled over the Visa,
saying "we don't issue unlimited visas to Limeys any more". That was a long
time after the program started, and I had used it several times when flying
into Boston, Seattle, SF, and Newark - without any bother although some
colleagues had had their visas withdrawn on the grounds that they should be
using the waiver program. I formed the impression that whether it was
cancelled depended mainly on whether an immigration official disliked the
look of you and/or the look of your passport (or of the non-US entry/exit
stamps in it). That was a while back, I understand it's very different now -
no chance at all of continuing to use an old-style visa.

M.

-----Original Message-----
From: ukcrypto-admin@chiark.greenend.org.uk
[mailto:ukcrypto-admin@chiark.greenend.org.uk] On Behalf Of Peter Tomlinson
Sent: 23 April 2009 17:47
To: ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk
Subject: Re: Police control of classified information

Roland Perry wrote:
> I used to have a USA
> "Business" visa, but they withdrew it (along with other holders) on the
> basis that the Visa Waiver programme made it redundant. Nevertheless,
> the VWP has several drawbacks compared to having a visa, and yet the
> change was made.
So did I: a multiple entry visa. When the visa waiver programme started, 
I filled in that form on the plane and offered that and my visa waiver 
passport on arrival. The clerk said that he would take the waiver form 
because it was easier processing that than checking my visa for validity.

Peter