Another US Visa Query!

I thought visas had a 10 year limit.

Assuming the visa is still valid, she needs to have her old passport with her and the new one, a new visa shouldn't be necessary. Not sure about the name change.

I would contact the US embassy about this to get some firm answers instead of the speculation we could offer here. Their website should also give you info on the timeline for a visa application. The first step after application is typically an interview.

The rules have been changed and all previous "indefinite" visas were deemed expired on their tenth anniversary or as of the rule change, whichever came last. Her visa thus expired April 1, 2004 (date of the rule change).
She needs a new one.

The length of time for an application depends on where you apply, interview wait times, and your specific circumstances.

See FAQ 254.

#2 is correct, its not the old days anymore, either you are OFFICIAL or your NOT.

Get it cleared up and updated at a US Embassy, not at Immigration, that would be very foolish. I doubt she could even board a plane as the airline needs to enforce a Valid Visa rule.

That Visa she has was issued by the US State Dept, which no longer even issues Visas, Its been Homeland Security since 2002.

If she is married to a US Citizen, you should of filed for her Residency/Green Card. If your a US Citizen but living in UK, you need to go to US Embassy and get her a new Visa.

Thanks for the replies. Not entirely surprised about the "scrapping" of the old sort of visa.

I've just been looking on the websites relating to visas & I see that for London there is currently a 6 day wait for one. If I fill out the form(s) online is it then a case of taking the application to the Embassy & joining a queue or delivering/posting it and then having an appointment to attend for interview?

How long are you going for? You don't need a visa as such for holiday if you have a UK passport someone will possibly correct me buts i think it is for 3 months you just fill in the online form.

If you hold UK passports you don't need a visa - you use the Visa Waiver Program and ESTA for a visit of up to 90 days.

In 1985 a visa would have been necessary - that predates the VWP.

It's about 2 weeks. The reason that we need Visas is that on a previous trip, either 1991 or 1993, our I-94W stub was not collected on the return journey & was subsequently lost.

If this was on the '91 trip then we got thro' ok on the later one, but there's always the chance that we'd be denied entry this time. We are likely not, after all this time, to be able to collect together enough
documentary evidence to prove that we did not overstay. Even if we did there seems to still be a chance that we'd be blocked if the Immigration Officer concerned was in a bad mood!

You fill out the visa forms and submit them. It's an electronic process now, iirc. Then you schedule and interview. After the interview, you should receive your visa in a few days, barring issues.

You don't need a visa as such for holiday if you have a UK passport
If you hold UK passports you don't need a visa

This is not quite correct. Having a UK passport is one+ condition for eligiblity, however it is not the +only condition.
It appears the OP failed to meet the other requirements in the eyes of the US.

Try to apply for the ESTA online anyway first and see how that goes. If it doesn't work, then go with the interview.