Travel updates and visa requirements for US and Barbados

Travelling to the U.S and Caribbean, I have noticed a few changes to visa requirements and other odd bits of information worth sharing.

U.S Immigration Forms

After a year and a half of testing, the U.S has finally switched on the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) pre-approval entry system for selected countries. During the testing phase, even if you had completed an ESTA application online, travellers still had to fill out the green visa waiver immigration form and the customs form.

With ETSA now fully active, the green immigration form is no longer needed, so visitors on the visa waiver program only complete the customs form.

Barbados Visa Changes

Citizens of several countries (e.g China) visiting Barbados have until recently been able to buy a visa at the point of entry. This has changed and they now require a visa before travel. Unfortunately this is not documented on the Barbados Immigration website or other travel sites yet.

I was travelling to Barbados with a colleague from China. All the websites and travel agents had said he could purchase a visa on entry. When he turned up for the flight at Miami airport,  the airline computer system said he needed a visa to travel, and they would not let him on the plane. He went down to the Barbados consulate in Miami and was told it would be two weeks to process. They also informed him the changes had not been documented on the official website yet.

Change to MIA Admirals Lounge

The Admirals lounge on Miami airport’s E Concourse will be closing down in September, and relocating to the newly finished American Airlines area, originally known as A or B  course. Currently there is also the larger Admirals lounge on D concourse.

Hilton Hotel Travel Deals

I stayed a night at a Hilton hotel, and on checkout received a piece of paper saying Hilton hotels are  running a summer promotion over August and September with selected U.S hotels offering 20% off the best available rate when you book in advance. See the Hilton website for details.