This was interesting because, as an American who has traveled abroad, I was not aware that we make even our closest allies, the British, pay a fee online before entering America. I would love to hear from foreigners on their border experiences.
This treatment makes me angry, but you have to be treated like this yourself before you can understand that anger. I won't visit the States as a tourist anymore as long as this ridiculous setup is in place (which includes your TSA madness). I'm afraid of the day my employer asks me to travel to the States. I hope I can decline.
As others have said, it's an unpleasant lottery. Mostly you wait a long time in line, and then you go through.
But twice I've been asked to step into a back room while some very slow process happens (I wasn't questioned in detail either time, so I don't really know what was going on). That added about an extra hour on each occasion, and is somewhat threatening.
This year I'm not going to the US at all. Mostly that's because there aren't any interesting conferences, but there's also in the back of my mind I'm slightly glad that I don't have to go through this fandango.
Sometimes it is really easy and dealing with bureaucratic burden is really minor issue for me.
I just don't like the whole "oh yeah, we have a visa waiver agreement with your country... you don't have to apply for a visa, but you do have to apply and pay to not have to apply for a visa..."
I'm sure it's not like that in reality, but that's what it feels like to me.
I do, and it's not fun.
I have an application in the works at the moment, started the process with the US Embassy on 28th October 2011, and here I am 4 months and 17 days later not knowing anything and no idea when I might hear.
Ignoring all other points (2-6 hours in secondary being interrogated at the border), the endless process for getting a Visa is a real pain and a massive deterrent.
It's not like this is my first time, I've visited the US more than 10 times and had visit Visas in the past. Nothing has changed, but each application still takes an indeterminately long time.
I was hoping to go to a conference, but it's too late now, it's passed. Perhaps to also try and make some meetings with some potential business partners.
The reality keeps coming home: Just don't bother. It's far more hassle than it's worth. If you get past the Visa (a gamble in itself), then you still have the border to look forward to.
I cannot recall a single trip in which crossing the border was anything less than hellish.
This, of course, is all anecdotal. But behind anecdotes are people, this is my unfortunate reality.
I don't really mind having to fill out some forms to get into a country, it's having to do the same thing 4 times that's annoying.
For the first couple of years they ran the system in parallel -- ESTA was a legal requirement, but because the systems weren't integrated they kept handing out the old I-94W's. Now they've spliced it all together the paper forms are no longer required.
The white customs declaration is still used, though. And I suspect it'll stick around for a very long time (because the precise details change for any given traveller on any given flight).