VWP Clarification?

[cat9]

Hi there,
I'm posting on behalf of a friend (UK citizen) who's visiting the states next month. We've done our research on the VWP and ESTA but want to make sure our information is correct, as it would be a real shame if she was turned away.
So, if I'm correct, you do this wizard to see if your passport qualifies for the VWP: http://london.usembassy.gov/root/vis...ges/index.html
If you do qualify, you fill out the ESTA and pay the fee, and make sure you have the confirmation that you're permitted to travel?
If you don't qualify for the VWP, what's the process like for getting a travel visa? It sounds like if you have a newer passport it has to have that biometrics chip in it? Is that a common thing to have in all newer passports?

Sorry for all the questions, just getting a little bit flustered, really wishing we had looked into this more thoroughly earlier! Thank you in advance for your help.

[cafeconleche]

For ESTA, a new biometric passport (with the symbol on the cover) is usually required (depending on when it was issued). For a visa, this isn't a requirement. The British passport complies with all these rules so there're no worries there. If a visa is required, she'll have to get a B2 visa at the embassy in London, or the consulate in Edinburgh or Belfast, depending on where she lives in the UK. Anyway, it isn't really clear what your question is. Does she qualify for the VWP? If she's ever been denied entry into the US, overstayed, had a visa invalidated, or has a criminal record, she needs a visa (and might be inelgible to travel too, in the case of having a criminal record). If she wants to stay for more than 90 days on this trip, she'll need a visa for that too. Otherwise, the VWP is easy and cheap.