5 ms·

No. Foreign nationals from countries (including most of Europe) that normally have access to the US through the Visa Waiver Program and ESTA lose that access if

No. Foreign nationals from countries (including most of Europe) that normally have access to the US through the Visa Waiver Program and ESTA lose that access if they visit Iran or a few other countries. They thereafter need to go through the full US visa application process if they want to go to the US.

hef19898 5y ago
One of the cases where at least in Germany you can get a second passport without problems. Another example would be travel to Israel and Arabian countries.
- detaro 5y ago
  Still requires you to lie on the ESTA form, which is not necessarily a good idea. (i.e. if you lie and get caught, that's worse than going through the visa process)
  - hef19898 5y ago
    Sure, simple answer: don't carry both passports at the same time. Pretty sure Iran (an the other countries on the US blacklist) don't exchange travel information with the US.
    - detaro 5y ago
      and don't appear on any travel manifests other countries share, and don't turn up on any other tracking, and ...
      - hef19898 5y ago
        Two different passports, only carry the right one: easy. And unless US border police is checking any, potential, Iranian travel data the NSA collected I don't see the problem. Confidently telling those border police officers you've never been to Iran seems to be the trickiest part. But hell, it works just perfectly fine for everyone travelling to Israel and any Arabian country, so...
        midasuni 5y ago
        No it doesn’t. Israel doesn’t routinely ask you if you’ve been to Iran, if they did, you answer tru fully if you know what’s good for you. Same if you go to Saudi. The US specifically asks you if you have travelled to those countries. You can either lie, and that’s a serious risk at being jailed, deported, banned from ever going again, and having issues going to other countries, or you can tell the truth.
      - midasuni 5y ago
        No photos of yourself there, no references to having travelled there anywhere in the Internet….
- londons_explore 5y ago
  The question at the border is "Have you ever visited Iran?", Not "Do you have a stamp for Iran in this passport?". Since passenger lists on flights around the world are pretty much public information, the US immigration services will know exactly where you have visited in the past, and could totally put you in prison for lying when answering the question.
  - klipt 5y ago
    > The question at the border is "Have you ever visited Iran?" Is that something only people on ESTA get asked? Never heard of people on visas being asked that.
    - verst 5y ago
      They ask that questions also during student or work visa issuance - and even during the greencard (adjustment of status) and naturalization processes. They don't ask it every time you enter with these visas or statuses however. But as a US citizen you will never be asked. And better yet if you are a dual citizen like me. Then you can travel on your other passport to the places the US finds to be undesirable.
      - klipt 5y ago
        I think green card and naturalization ask about travel in the last few years. But they don't ask about travel prior to that, and they don't ask about Iran specifically.
        verst 5y ago
        True - I think it was 10 (or was it 7?) year of travel history, but I'm sure Iran would raise some flags.
- _0w8t 5y ago
  The same is in Norway, although one have to justify it. For example one cannot get a visa to China if one has a stamp from Taiwan. So if one needs to travel to both often, then one can apply for the second passport.
  - midasuni 5y ago
    I don’t remember China asking if I’ve been to Taiwan. I’d be surprised too - there’s direct flights between the two. That said I normally visit China on a 168 hour transit visa and fly via Hong Kong, Tokyo or Seoul rather than the hassle of applying for a visa.
  - MagnumOpus 5y ago
    > For example one cannot get a visa to China if one has a stamp from Taiwan I am quite sure that this is not true.

hef19898 5y ago

One of the cases where at least in Germany you can get a second passport without problems. Another example would be travel to Israel and Arabian countries.

detaro 5y ago
Still requires you to lie on the ESTA form, which is not necessarily a good idea. (i.e. if you lie and get caught, that's worse than going through the visa process)
- hef19898 5y ago
  Sure, simple answer: don't carry both passports at the same time. Pretty sure Iran (an the other countries on the US blacklist) don't exchange travel information with the US.
  - detaro 5y ago
    and don't appear on any travel manifests other countries share, and don't turn up on any other tracking, and ...
    - hef19898 5y ago
      Two different passports, only carry the right one: easy. And unless US border police is checking any, potential, Iranian travel data the NSA collected I don't see the problem. Confidently telling those border police officers you've never been to Iran seems to be the trickiest part. But hell, it works just perfectly fine for everyone travelling to Israel and any Arabian country, so...
      - midasuni 5y ago
        No it doesn’t. Israel doesn’t routinely ask you if you’ve been to Iran, if they did, you answer tru fully if you know what’s good for you. Same if you go to Saudi. The US specifically asks you if you have travelled to those countries. You can either lie, and that’s a serious risk at being jailed, deported, banned from ever going again, and having issues going to other countries, or you can tell the truth.
    - midasuni 5y ago
      No photos of yourself there, no references to having travelled there anywhere in the Internet….
londons_explore 5y ago
The question at the border is "Have you ever visited Iran?", Not "Do you have a stamp for Iran in this passport?". Since passenger lists on flights around the world are pretty much public information, the US immigration services will know exactly where you have visited in the past, and could totally put you in prison for lying when answering the question.
- klipt 5y ago
  > The question at the border is "Have you ever visited Iran?" Is that something only people on ESTA get asked? Never heard of people on visas being asked that.
  - verst 5y ago
    They ask that questions also during student or work visa issuance - and even during the greencard (adjustment of status) and naturalization processes. They don't ask it every time you enter with these visas or statuses however. But as a US citizen you will never be asked. And better yet if you are a dual citizen like me. Then you can travel on your other passport to the places the US finds to be undesirable.
    - klipt 5y ago
      I think green card and naturalization ask about travel in the last few years. But they don't ask about travel prior to that, and they don't ask about Iran specifically.
      - verst 5y ago
        True - I think it was 10 (or was it 7?) year of travel history, but I'm sure Iran would raise some flags.
_0w8t 5y ago
The same is in Norway, although one have to justify it. For example one cannot get a visa to China if one has a stamp from Taiwan. So if one needs to travel to both often, then one can apply for the second passport.
- midasuni 5y ago
  I don’t remember China asking if I’ve been to Taiwan. I’d be surprised too - there’s direct flights between the two. That said I normally visit China on a 168 hour transit visa and fly via Hong Kong, Tokyo or Seoul rather than the hassle of applying for a visa.
- MagnumOpus 5y ago
  > For example one cannot get a visa to China if one has a stamp from Taiwan I am quite sure that this is not true.