US to charge £9 for Esta compulsory travel entry form
The US government is to start charging UK travellers $14 (£9) to apply for permission to enter the country. The compulsory Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (Esta) is free at present, but from 9 September visitors to the US will have to pay for it.
[link via BBC News]
How charming (not)! Charging £9 for permission to visit the USA. What a funny way to encourage tourism!!
I think it's an absolutely ridiculous idea. Add it to the standard (in my experience) very unfriendly welcome from Immigration and Customs agents and it's a wonder tourists consider visiting the USA at all.
What are your views about the new charge for ESTA? Have you visited the USA before? What are your experiences with the Immigration and Customs agents?
ESTA Application For UK Citizens
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
British Citizenship - discrimination
The UK government continues to discriminate against children born abroad to British female citizens and children of unmarried British male citizens.
Why isn't a legitimate claim to British citizenship by descent, automatic for all children of a British parent?
I was born abroad to an English mother but to be eligible for British citizenship, the law states that I will have to register and pay a fee of £540 to claim my British citizenship by descent. However, if I had been born abroad to a British father (or if I was younger) my entitlement to citizenship would have been automatic!
There has been an ongoing campaign over the years to get this inequality corrected but despite a succession of petitions and promises made by various politicians, very little has changed.
Since the change in Government following the General Election, I have written to the new Home Secretary, Theresa May about this unjustified discrimination regarding British citizenship by descent. I asked her if the new Government will follow up on this issue and put an end to this blatant discrimination. I have not had a reply. It's worth noting that Theresa May is also the Minister for Women and Equality!
I also wrote to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) about the blatant age and sex discrimination and I was informed by EHRC that;
"Acts of Parliament are included in the Table of Exceptions from the Sex Discrimination Act"
and
"Age discrimination would also not apply as this only currently applies to employment and education."
So much for the Equality and Human Rights Commission! They don't help at all even though this is blatant discrimination! What about equality and what about our human rights?!
I am asking for my readers to help.
'Your Freedom' http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/ is a new website from the Coalition Government where you are invited to submit your "ideas" for laws that should be scrapped or amended.
I have submitted my idea regarding Nationality via British mother and tsprague submitted this idea: Allow Illegitimate Children Citizenship Through Their British Fathers
Please leave a comment to support the ideas via the above links. The Coalition Government needs to know that the British public will not accept this blatant discrimination!
I would also be very grateful if you would sign the latest petition:
British Citizenship for persons born abroad to British Mothers and Fathers
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/british-nationality.html
Children of British Citizens Who are females and Children of Unmarried British Males should be given their equal rights to automatic nationality rather then have to pay fees, undergo good character tests, and ceremonies on the same basis as others born later who are automatically citizens.
It is time for the law to be amended so that the right to nationality via British mothers or British fathers is exactly the same.
Related posts:
Changes to the law on citizenship: Children of British mothers
Guardian's Liberty Clinic - query about British citizenship
People born before 1983 to British mothers
Why isn't a legitimate claim to British citizenship by descent, automatic for all children of a British parent?
I was born abroad to an English mother but to be eligible for British citizenship, the law states that I will have to register and pay a fee of £540 to claim my British citizenship by descent. However, if I had been born abroad to a British father (or if I was younger) my entitlement to citizenship would have been automatic!
There has been an ongoing campaign over the years to get this inequality corrected but despite a succession of petitions and promises made by various politicians, very little has changed.
Since the change in Government following the General Election, I have written to the new Home Secretary, Theresa May about this unjustified discrimination regarding British citizenship by descent. I asked her if the new Government will follow up on this issue and put an end to this blatant discrimination. I have not had a reply. It's worth noting that Theresa May is also the Minister for Women and Equality!
I also wrote to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) about the blatant age and sex discrimination and I was informed by EHRC that;
"Acts of Parliament are included in the Table of Exceptions from the Sex Discrimination Act"
and
"Age discrimination would also not apply as this only currently applies to employment and education."
So much for the Equality and Human Rights Commission! They don't help at all even though this is blatant discrimination! What about equality and what about our human rights?!
I am asking for my readers to help.
'Your Freedom' http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/ is a new website from the Coalition Government where you are invited to submit your "ideas" for laws that should be scrapped or amended.
I have submitted my idea regarding Nationality via British mother and tsprague submitted this idea: Allow Illegitimate Children Citizenship Through Their British Fathers
Please leave a comment to support the ideas via the above links. The Coalition Government needs to know that the British public will not accept this blatant discrimination!
I would also be very grateful if you would sign the latest petition:
British Citizenship for persons born abroad to British Mothers and Fathers
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/british-nationality.html
Children of British Citizens Who are females and Children of Unmarried British Males should be given their equal rights to automatic nationality rather then have to pay fees, undergo good character tests, and ceremonies on the same basis as others born later who are automatically citizens.
It is time for the law to be amended so that the right to nationality via British mothers or British fathers is exactly the same.
Related posts:
Changes to the law on citizenship: Children of British mothers
Guardian's Liberty Clinic - query about British citizenship
People born before 1983 to British mothers
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