98-738: The Special Immigrant Visa ( SIV ) programs are programs for receiving a United States visa . The program is administered under the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, Public Law 110-181 , which was signed into law on January 28, 2008. The Department of State has authority to issue SIVs to Afghan nationals under section 602(b) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009. A total of 34,500 visas have been allocated since December 19, 2014. Requirements are: Applicants must email AfghanSIVApplication@state.gov, put their name and date of birth in
196-436: A copy of their passport valid for at least 6 months after their planned departure from the territory, a ticket for such departure, proof of accommodation, and a fee of 40 USD. Nationals of Samoa may also apply for a similar electronic authorization to visit American Samoa for up to 10 days, for a fee of 10 USD. Up to 400 such authorizations are granted per month. Other visitors need an entry permit. To apply, they must have
294-504: A fee. U.S. visa policy does not apply to the territory of American Samoa , as it has its own entry requirements and maintains control of its own borders. Hence, neither a U.S. visa nor an ESTA can be used to enter American Samoa. If required, an entry permit or an electronic authorization called "OK Board" must be obtained from the Department of Legal Affairs of American Samoa. To travel to American Samoa, U.S. nationals must present
392-796: A kind of precursor to the nautical or geographical mile . It extended the Roman mile to fit an astronomical approximation of 1 arcminute of latitude measured directly north-and-south along a meridian . Although the precise value of the approximation remains disputed, it was somewhere between 1.8 and 2.0 km. The " old English mile " of the medieval and early modern periods varied but seems to have measured about 1.3 international miles (2.1 km). The old English mile varied over time and location within England. The old English mile has also been defined as 79,200 or 79,320 inches (1.25 or 1.2519 statute miles). The English long continued
490-458: A land mile or statute mile. In British English , statute mile may refer to the present international mile or to any other form of English mile since the 1593 Act of Parliament , which set it as a distance of 1,760 yards . Under American law , however, statute mile refers to the US survey mile. Foreign and historical units translated into English as miles usually employ a qualifier to describe
588-479: A local sponsor, who must appear in person at the Immigration Office of the Department of Legal Affairs. The application must be signed by the sponsor's saʻo ( head chief ), unless the sponsor provides a deed of private land, and by the sponsor's pulenuʻu (village mayor). Applicants must also provide a copy of their passport or identity document valid for at least 6 months after their planned departure from
686-541: A new category of Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) for Iraqi nationals who have provided faithful and valuable service to the U.S. government , while employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq, for not less than one year after March 20, 2003 , and who have experienced or are experiencing an ongoing serious threat as a consequence of that employment. Foreign nationals must self-petition for this special immigrant visa classification only if they can establish that they meet
784-584: A number of territories with less than a million inhabitants, most of which are UK or US territories, or have close historical ties with the UK or US: American Samoa, Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Guam, The N. Mariana Islands, Samoa, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, St. Helena, St. Kitts & Nevis, the Turks & Caicos Islands, and
882-502: A particular period of time. In order to immigrate, one should either have an immigrant visa or have a dual intent visa, which is one that is compatible with making a concurrent application for nonimmigrant and immigrant status. Entering the United States on an employment visa may be described as a three-step process in most cases. First, the employer files an application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requesting
980-419: A particular type of category visa for a specific individual. If the employer's application is approved, it only authorizes the individual to apply for a visa; the approved application is not actually a visa. The individual then applies for a visa and is usually interviewed at a U.S. embassy or consulate in the native country. If the embassy or consulate grants the visa, the individual is then allowed to travel to
1078-407: A passport or visa if listed in the parent's passport with a birth certificate. While there are about 185 different types of U.S. visas, there are two main categories: A U.S. visa does not authorize entry into the United States or a stay in a particular status, but only serves as a preliminary permission to travel to the United States and to seek admission at a port of entry. The final admission to
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#17327731265141176-654: A petition for their spouse and dependent children, subject to statutory numerical limitations and a potential backlog of applications. The United States has suspended the issuance of certain types of visas for certain people from certain countries as sanctions for their lack of cooperation in accepting the return of their nationals deported from the United States. As of 2024, these sanctions apply to nationals of Eritrea and to certain government officials and their family members of Cambodia , China (also under separate sanctions ), Laos , Myanmar , Pakistan and Sierra Leone . The United States has also suspended
1274-552: A standard visa is required. ESTA is also required for entry by land. As of 2024, those who have previously been in Iran , Iraq , Libya , North Korea , Somalia , Sudan , Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011, or in Cuba on or after January 12, 2021, or who are dual nationals of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan or Syria, are not eligible to travel under the VWP and must obtain
1372-672: A standard visa. However, those who traveled to such countries as diplomats, military, journalists, humanitarian workers or legitimate businessmen may have this ineligibility waived. Although the visa policy of the United States also applies to the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands , both territories have additional visa waiver programs for certain nationalities. The Guam–CNMI Visa Waiver Program, first enacted in October 1988 and periodically amended, permits nationals of 12 countries to visit Guam and
1470-795: A stay of up to 24 hours. Residents of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in Russia who are members of the indigenous population do not need a visa to visit Alaska if they have relatives (blood relatives, members of the same tribe, native people who have similar language and cultural heritage) in Alaska. Entry points are in Gambell and Nome . Individuals must be invited by a relative in Alaska, must notify local authorities at least ten days before traveling to Alaska, and must leave Alaska within 90 days. The agreement establishing this policy
1568-556: A ticket for future departure from the territory. However, after entering American Samoa, U.S. nationals may reside there indefinitely and cannot be deported. Nationals of countries in the American Samoa Entry Permit Waiver Program may visit the territory for up to 30 days without an entry permit. However, if arriving by air, they must apply online for an electronic authorization called "OK Board", at least 3 business days before travel, providing
1666-625: A valid U.S. passport, a valid American Samoan certificate of identity, or a certified birth certificate in combination with a valid identification card. Alternatively, they may apply online for an electronic authorization providing a copy of their birth certificate or expired travel document, a copy of their identification card, itinerary, and a fee of 50 USD for verification of vital records. In addition to their identification document or electronic authorization, U.S. nationals must also show proof of residence or employment in American Samoa or
1764-647: Is U+3344 ㍄ SQUARE MAIRU , after マイル mairu . The international mile is precisely equal to 1.609 344 km (or 25146 / 15625 km as a fraction). It was established as part of the 1959 international yard and pound agreement reached by the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa , which resolved small but measurable differences that had arisen from separate physical standards each country had maintained for
1862-400: Is an intending immigrant unless otherwise proven. Therefore, applicants for most nonimmigrant visas must overcome this presumption by demonstrating that: All visit, business, transit, student, and exchange visitor visa applicants must pay an application fee of 185 USD to the consular section at a U.S. embassy or consulate in order to be interviewed by a consular officer who will determine if
1960-538: Is based upon the length of a meridian of latitude . The German geographical mile ( geographische Meile ) was previously 1 ⁄ 15 ° of latitude (7.4127 km). The informal term "metric mile" is used in some countries, in sports such as track and field athletics and speed skating , to denote a distance of 1,500 metres (0.932 miles). The 1500 meters is the premier middle distance running event in Olympic sports . In United States high-school competition,
2058-635: Is defined by the First International Extraordinary Hydrographic Conference in Monaco as exactly 1,852 metres (which is 1.151 miles or 6,076.12 feet). In the United States, the nautical mile was defined in the 19th century as 6,080.2 feet (1,853.24 m), whereas in the United Kingdom, the Admiralty nautical mile was defined as 6,080 feet (1,853.18 m) and was about one minute of latitude in
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#17327731265142156-521: Is no acceptable abbreviation for 'miles ' " and so it should be spelled out when used in describing areas. The Roman mile ( mille passus , lit. "thousand paces"; abbr. m.p. ; also milia passuum and mille ) consisted of a thousand paces as measured by every other step—as in the total distance of the left foot hitting the ground 1,000 times. When Roman legionaries were well-fed and harshly driven in good weather, they thus created longer miles. The distance
2254-423: Is specific enough that the consular officer does not feel they qualify for combined B-1/B-2 status. Holders may also attend short non-credit courses. Mexican citizens are eligible for Border Crossing Cards . Mile The mile , sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on
2352-398: Is used in radar -related subjects and is equal to 6,000 feet (1.8288 kilometres). The radar mile is a unit of time (in the same way that the light year is a unit of distance), equal to the time required for a radar pulse to travel a distance of two miles (one mile each way). Thus, the radar statute mile is 10.8 μs and the radar nautical mile is 12.4 μs. The geographical mile
2450-666: The Sjællandske miil , for instance, had been 11.13 km. The Germans also used a longer version of the geographical mile . The Breslau mile , used in Breslau , and from 1630 officially in all of Silesia , equal to 11,250 ells , or about 6,700 meters. The mile equaled the distance from the Piaskowa Gate all the way to Psie Pole ( Hundsfeld ). By rolling a circle with a radius of 5 ells through Piaskowa Island , Ostrów Tumski and suburban tracts, passing eight bridges on
2548-548: The Diversity Immigrant Visa program, also known as the green card lottery. The United States grants visa-free entry to nationals of two neighboring jurisdictions under most circumstances: The United States also grants visa-free entry to nationals of some other neighboring jurisdictions under certain conditions: Visa-free entry is also granted to limited categories of nationals of another neighboring country: As of 2024, 42 countries have been selected by
2646-461: The Exchequer , which thereafter verified local standards until its abolition in the 19th century. New brass standards are known to have been constructed under Henry VII and Elizabeth I . Arnold's c. 1500 Customs of London recorded a mile shorter than previous ones, coming to 0.947 international miles (5,000 feet) or 1.524 km. The English statute mile
2744-594: The Mexico–United States border (up to 75 miles in Arizona and 55 miles in New Mexico) for a stay of up to 30 days. Children born to a U.S. permanent resident mother during a temporary visit abroad do not need a passport or visa at the mother's first re-entry to the United States within two years after birth. Similarly, children born abroad to a parent with a U.S. immigrant visa after its issuance do not need
2842-680: The Milion , located at the head of the Mese near Hagia Sophia . The Roman mile spread throughout Europe, with its local variations giving rise to the different units. Also arising from the Roman mile is the milestone . All roads radiated out from the Roman Forum throughout the Empire – 50,000 (Roman) miles of stone-paved roads. At every mile was placed a shaped stone. Originally, these were obelisks made from granite, marble, or whatever local stone
2940-651: The Roman mile (roughly 1.48 km ), such as the nautical mile (now 1.852 km exactly), the Italian mile (roughly 1.852 km ), and the Chinese mile (now 500 m exactly). The Romans divided their mile into 5,000 pedēs ("feet") , but the greater importance of furlongs in the Elizabethan-era England meant that the statute mile was made equivalent to 8 furlongs or 5,280 feet in 1593. This form of
3038-446: The international mile and international foot . In the United States, the term statute mile formally refers to the survey mile, but for most purposes, the difference of less than 1 ⁄ 8 inch (3.2 mm) between the survey mile and the international mile (1609.344 metres exactly) is insignificant—one international mile is 0.999 998 US survey miles—so statute mile can be used for either. But in some cases, such as in
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3136-543: The " ban mile" ( banska milja ), had been the Austrian mile given above. The Ottoman mile was 1,894.35 m (1.17709 mi), which was equal to 5,000 Ottoman foot. After 1933, the Ottoman mile was replaced with the modern Turkish mile (1,853.181 m). The CJK Compatibility Unicode block contains square-format versions of Japanese names for measurement units as written in katakana script. Among them, there
3234-479: The 1,760 yards (1,609 m; 5,280 ft) of the modern international mile. In Hellenic areas of the Empire, the Roman mile ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : μίλιον , mílion ) was used beside the native Greek units as equivalent to 8 stadia of 600 Greek feet . The mílion continued to be used as a Byzantine unit and was also used as the name of the zero mile marker for the Byzantine Empire ,
3332-474: The 10th century, the nominal prototype physical standard of English length was an arm-length iron bar (a yardstick) held by the king at Winchester ; the foot was then one-third of its length. Henry I was said to have made a new standard in 1101 based on his own arm. Following the issuance of Magna Carta in 1215, the barons of Parliament directed John and his son to keep the king 's standard measure ( Mensura Domini Regis ) and weight at
3430-629: The Guam–CNMI Visa Waiver Program, and for nationals of China traveling without a visa to the Northern Mariana Islands, from November 29, 2024. This authorization would be valid for up to two years (one year for nationals of China), or until the traveler's passport expires (six months before the passport expires, for nationals of Brunei, China and Nauru), whichever comes first, and it would be valid for multiple entries during this period. This authorization would not require
3528-544: The Immigration and Naturalization Act. In order to qualify, an individual must possess "at least 50 per centum blood of the American Indian Race". Tribal membership alone does not qualify an individual. The individual bears the burden of proof in establishing eligibility, typically by way of presenting identification based on reliable tribal records, birth certificates, and other documents establishing
3626-638: The NAD27, is defined in metres. State Plane Coordinate Systems were then updated, but the National Geodetic Survey left individual states to decide which (if any) definition of the foot they would use. All State Plane Coordinate Systems are defined in metres, and 42 of the 50 states only use the metre-based State Plane Coordinate Systems. However, eight states also have State Plane Coordinate Systems defined in feet, seven of them in US survey feet and one in international feet. State legislation in
3724-404: The Northern Mariana Islands for up to 45 days for tourism or business without the need to obtain a U.S. visa or ESTA. A parole policy also allows nationals of China visa-free access to the Northern Mariana Islands for up to 14 days. Travelers with a visa or ESTA are admitted to the territories in accordance with the terms of the visa or ESTA. Travelers using the Guam–CNMI Visa Waiver Program or
3822-409: The Roman computations of the mile as 5,000 feet, 1,000 paces , or 8 longer divisions, which they equated with their " furrow 's length" or furlong . The origins of English units are "extremely vague and uncertain", but seem to have been a combination of the Roman system with native British and Germanic systems both derived from multiples of the barleycorn . Probably by the reign of Edgar in
3920-472: The SI metre (m) and millilitre (ml). However, derived units such as miles per hour or miles per gallon continue to be abbreviated as "mph" and "mpg" rather than "mi/h" and "mi/gal". In the United Kingdom, road signs use "m" as the abbreviation for mile though height and width restrictions also use "m" as the symbol for the metre, which may be displayed alongside feet and inches. The BBC style holds that "there
4018-580: The U.S. government for inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Their nationals do not need a U.S. visa for short stays, but they are required to obtain an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to arrival. Visitors may stay for up to 90 days in the United States, which also includes time spent in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the islands in the Caribbean if the arrival
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4116-422: The U.S. military have been eligible for SIVs each fiscal year (FY). Public Law 110-36, which President Bush, Jr. , signed into law on June 15, 2007, amended section 1059 by expanding the total number of beneficiaries to 500 a year for FY 2007 and FY 2008 only. In FY 2009, the number of visas available for this category reverted to 50 annually. In addition to these Frequently Asked Questions for Applicants, also see
4214-506: The US State Plane Coordinate Systems (SPCSs), which can stretch over hundreds of miles, the accumulated difference can be significant, so it is important to note that the reference is to the US survey mile. The United States redefined its yard in 1893, and this resulted in US and Imperial measures of distance having very slightly different lengths. The North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83), which replaced
4312-509: The US Virgin Islands. The mile is even encountered in Canada, though this is predominantly in rail transport and horse racing, as the roadways have been metricated since 1977. Ireland gradually replaced miles with kilometres, including in speed measurements; the process was completed in 2005. The US survey mile is 5,280 US survey feet , or 1,609.347 metres and 0.30480061 metres respectively. Both are very slightly longer than
4410-451: The US is important for determining which conversion factor from the metric datum is to be used for land surveying and real estate transactions, even though the difference (2 ppm ) is hardly significant, given the precision of normal surveying measurements over short distances (usually much less than a mile). Twenty-four states have legislated that surveying measures be based on the US survey foot, eight have legislated that they be based on
4508-465: The US survey foot and US survey mile, as permitted by their 1959 decision, with effect on January 1, 2023. The nautical mile was originally defined as one minute of arc along a meridian of the Earth. Navigators use dividers to step off the distance between two points on the navigational chart, then place the open dividers against the minutes-of-latitude scale at the edge of the chart, and read off
4606-591: The USCIS Fact Sheet on Afghan and Iraqi Translators. As amended, section 1059 provides for SIV status for eligible Iraqi and Afghan translators and interpreters who have worked directly with United States Armed Forces or under Chief of Mission (COM) authority. United States visas [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Visitors to the United States must obtain a visa from one of the U.S. diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of
4704-591: The United States by sea from outside the Americas , to hold one of the following documents: For entry by land or sea from the Americas, individuals must present one of the documents acceptable for entry by air or one of the following: Nationals of Mexico may use a Border Crossing Card , which serves as a visa when presented with a passport. Without a passport, the card on its own also allows entry by land or sea while remaining within 25 miles (40 km ) from
4802-521: The United States in fiscal year 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 was from the following countries (listed over 700,000 admissions): A visas are issued to representatives of a foreign government traveling to the United States to engage in official activities for that government. A visas are granted to foreign government ambassadors , ministers , diplomats , as well as other foreign government officials or employees traveling on official business (A-1 visa). Certain foreign officials require an A visa regardless of
4900-471: The United States is made at the port of entry by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. For those entering in a nonimmigrant visa status, the admission details are recorded by the CBP officer on a Form I-94 (or Form I-94W for nationals of the Visa Waiver Program countries for short visits), which serves as the official document authorizing the stay in the United States in a particular status and for
4998-411: The United States. At the airport, border crossing or other point of entry, the individual speaks with an officer from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to request admission, and if approved, the individual may then enter the United States. In addition to immigration sponsored by a U.S. family member or employer, about 55,000 immigrant visas are available each year to natives of certain countries under
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#17327731265145096-492: The applicant is qualified to receive a visa to travel to the United States (additionally, the officer may also ask the United States Department of State for a Security Advisory Opinion , which can take several weeks to resolve). The application fee is increased to 205 USD for most work visas and can be even higher for certain categories. If the applicant is rejected, the application fee is not refunded. If
5194-399: The application is approved, nationals of certain countries must also pay a visa issuance fee, based on reciprocity. Amongst the items included in the qualification decision are financial independence, adequate employment, material assets and a lack of a criminal record in the applicant's native country. The highest number of non-immigrant admissions for tourists and for business purposes into
5292-627: The definition of the foot in the Mendenhall Order of 1893, with 1 foot = 1200 / 3937 (≈0.304800609601) metres and the definition was retained for data derived from NAD27, but renamed the US survey foot to distinguish it from the international foot. Thus a survey mile = 1200 / 3937 × 5280 (≈1609.347218694) metres. An international mile = 1609.344 / ( 1200 / 3937 × 5280) (=0.999998) survey miles. The exact length of
5390-515: The discrepancy with latitude measurement to less than 2%). The metric system was introduced in the Netherlands in 1816, and the metric mile became a synonym for the kilometre, being exactly 1,000 m. Since 1870, the term mijl was replaced by the equivalent kilometer . Today, the word mijl is no longer used, except as part of certain proverbs and compound terms like mijlenver ("miles away"). The German mile ( Meile )
5488-456: The distance in nautical miles. The Earth is not perfectly spherical but an oblate spheroid , so the length of a minute of latitude increases by 1% from the equator to the poles, as seen for example in the WGS84 ellipsoid , with 1,843 metres (6,046 ft) at the equator, 1,862 metres (6,108 ft) at the poles and average 1,852 metres (6,076 ft). Since 1929 the international nautical mile
5586-580: The following requirements: In addition to the program's enacting Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 legislation, the United States Congress has enacted various other statutes and amendments into public law with relevance to the S.I.V. program. Under section 1059 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, Public Law 109-163 , up to 50 Iraqi and Afghan translators working for
5684-530: The general public, and all visits require special permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , or from The Nature Conservancy for Palmyra Atoll, or from the U.S. Air Force for Johnston Atoll and Wake Island. Applicants for visitor visas must show that they qualify under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act . The presumption in the law is that every nonimmigrant visa applicant (except certain employment-related applicants, who are exempt)
5782-421: The household of the principal alien; and who are recognized as dependents by the sending government (A-3 Visa). The most common non-immigrant visa is the multiple-purpose B-1/B-2 visa, also known as the "visa for temporary visitors for business or pleasure." Visa applicants sometimes receive either a B-1 (temporary visitor for business) or a B-2 (temporary visitor for pleasure) visa, if their reason for travel
5880-671: The international foot, and eighteen have not specified which conversion factor to use. SPCS 83 legislation refers to state legislation that has been passed or updated using the newer 1983 NAD data. Most states have done so. Two states, Alaska and Missouri , and two jurisdictions, Guam and Puerto Rico , do not specify which foot to use. Two states, Alabama and Hawaii , and four jurisdictions, Washington, DC , US Virgin Islands , American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands , do not have SPCS 83 legislation. In October 2019, US National Geodetic Survey and National Institute of Standards and Technology announced their joint intent to retire
5978-621: The issuance of visas in Cuba and Venezuela due to the ordered departure of U.S. government personnel, but nationals of these countries may still apply for visas at U.S. embassies or consulates in other countries. Visits to the United States Minor Outlying Islands – Baker Island , Howland Island , Jarvis Island , Johnston Atoll , Kingman Reef , Midway Atoll , Navassa Island , Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island – are severely restricted. The islands are not accessible to
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#17327731265146076-507: The kind of mile being used but this may be omitted if it is obvious from the context, such as a discussion of the 2nd-century Antonine Itinerary describing its distances in terms of miles rather than Roman miles . The mile has been variously abbreviated in English—with and without a trailing period—as "mi", "M", "ml", and "m". The American National Institute of Standards and Technology now uses and recommends "mi" to avoid confusion with
6174-429: The land mile varied slightly among English-speaking countries until the international yard and pound agreement in 1959 established the yard as exactly 0.9144 metres, giving a mile of exactly 1,609.344 metres. The US adopted this international mile for most purposes, but retained the pre-1959 mile for some land-survey data, terming it the U. S. survey mile . In the United States, statute mile normally refers to
6272-412: The latitudes of the south of the UK. Other nations had different definitions of the nautical mile. The nautical mile per hour is known as the knot . Nautical miles and knots are almost universally used for aeronautical and maritime navigation, because of their relationship with degrees and minutes of latitude and the convenience of using the latitude scale on a map for distance measuring. The data mile
6370-554: The length of an ell was not standardised, so that the length of a mile could range between 3,280 m and 4,280 m. In the sixteenth, the Dutch had three different miles: small ( kleine ), medium ( middelbaar/gemeen ), and large ( groote ). The Dutch kleine mile had the historical definition of one hour's walking ( uur gaans ), which was defined as 24 stadia, 3000 paces, or 15,000 Amsterdam or Rhineland feet (respectively 4,250 m or 4,710 m). The common Dutch mile
6468-517: The length of the rod by 1 ⁄ 11 would have amounted to a significant tax increase. Parliament instead opted to maintain the mile of 8 furlongs (which were derived from the rod) and to increase the number of feet per mile from the old Roman value. The applicable passage of the statute reads: "A Mile shall contain eight Furlongs, every Furlong forty Poles, and every Pole shall contain sixteen Foot and an half." The statute mile therefore contained 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards. The distance
6566-479: The mile then spread across the British Empire , some successor states of which continue to employ the mile. The US Geological Survey now employs the metre for official purposes, but legacy data from its 1927 geodetic datum has meant that a separate US survey mile ( 6336 / 3937 km) continues to see some use, although it was officially phased out in 2022. While most countries replaced
6664-419: The mile was changed as with improved calculations of the circumference of the Earth. In 1617, Willebrord Snellius calculated a degree of the circumference of the Earth at 28,500 Rijnlantsche Roeden (within 3.5% of the actual value), which resulted in a Dutch mile of 1900 rods. By the mid-seventeenth century, map scales assigned 2000 rods to the common Dutch mile, which equalled around 7,535 m (reducing
6762-536: The mile with the kilometre when switching to the International System of Units (SI), the international mile continues to be used in some countries, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and a number of countries with fewer than one million inhabitants, most of which are UK or US territories or have close historical ties with the UK or US. The modern English word mile derives from Middle English myle and Old English mīl , which
6860-680: The most accepted equivalencies are 1,976 Imperial yards (1.123 statute miles or 1.81 km). It was legally abolished three times: first by a 1685 act of the Scottish Parliament , again by the 1707 Treaty of Union with England, and finally by the Weights and Measures Act 1824 . It had continued in use as a customary unit through the 18th century but had become obsolete by its final abolition. The Irish mile ( míle or míle Gaelach ) measured 2,240 yards: approximately 1.27 statute miles or 2.048 kilometres. It
6958-495: The older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English feet , or 1,760 yards . The statute mile was standardised between the Commonwealth of Nations and the United States by an international agreement in 1959 , when it was formally redefined with respect to SI units as exactly 1,609.344 metres . With qualifiers, mile is also used to describe or translate a wide range of units derived from or roughly equivalent to
7056-574: The parole are required to complete an I-736 form, hold a machine-readable passport and nonrefundable return ticket, and are not permitted to travel to other parts of the United States. Because of work visas and waivers specific to the Northern Mariana Islands, traveling between Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands still requires a full immigration inspection, and all visitors departing Guam or Northern Mariana Islands are inspected regardless of final destination. The U.S. government plans to require an electronic authorization similar to ESTA for travelers under
7154-408: The percentage of Indian blood. A Canadian Certificate of Indian Status is insufficient proof because it does not indicate the percentage of Indian blood. This provision does not extend to family members unless they qualify in their own right. However, qualifying American Indians residing in the United States are considered to be lawfully admitted for U.S. permanent residence and therefore may file
7252-445: The permit is valid for a stay of up to 30 days, but an extension may be requested for a fee of 50 USD. Business travelers may apply for a multiple-entry permit, for a fee of 50 USD per month, up to one year. Nationals of Samoa traveling on business may also apply for an entry permit for a stay of up to 14 days, for a fee of 10 USD. Transit travelers of any nationality may apply for an electronic authorization free of charge, allowing
7350-638: The previous standards was 2 ppm , or about 3.2 millimetres ( 1 ⁄ 8 inch) per mile. The US standard was slightly longer and the old Imperial standards had been slightly shorter than the international mile. When the international mile was introduced in English-speaking countries, the basic geodetic datum in America was the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD27). This had been constructed by triangulation based on
7448-537: The purpose of their trip. The A visa is also granted to immediate family members of such foreign government officials, defined as "the principal applicant's spouse and unmarried sons and daughters of any age who are not members of some other household and who will reside regularly in the household of the principal alien" (A-2 Visa) and which "may also include close relatives of the principal alien or spouse who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption who are not members of some other household; who will reside regularly in
7546-504: The subject line, and attach: Section 1244 of this legislation, entitled "Special Immigrant Status for Certain Iraqis ", as amended by section 1 of Public Law 110-244, enacted on January 3, 2008, authorizes 5,000 Special Immigrant Visas ( The Kennedy SIV Program for Iraqi Nationals Who Worked for or on Behalf of the U.S. Government ) per annum for Iraqi employees and/or contractors for fiscal years 2008 through 2012. This provision creates
7644-413: The survey mile, about 3.219 mm ( 1 ⁄ 8 inch) longer than the international mile (the international mile is exactly 0.0002% less than the US survey mile). While most countries abandoned the mile when switching to the metric system , the international mile continues to be used in some countries, such as Liberia , Myanmar , the United Kingdom and the United States. It is also used in
7742-491: The term is sometimes used for a race of 1,600 metres (0.994 miles). The Scandinavian mile ( mil ) remains in common use in Norway and Sweden, where it has meant precisely 10 km since metrication in 1889. It is used in informal situations and in measurements of fuel consumption, which are often given as litres per mil . In formal situations (such as official road signs) only kilometres are given. The Swedish mile
7840-462: The territory, a ticket for such departure, clearances from the District Court of American Samoa and Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical Medical Center , police and medical clearances from the country of origin (medical clearance not required for nationals of Samoa), and a fee of 40 USD (no fee if under age 5). The application for an entry permit must be made at least 3 business days before travel, and
7938-406: The traveler's passport expires, whichever comes first, and is valid for multiple entries into the United States. Passengers are advised to apply for ESTA at least 72 hours before departure. Travel by air or sea with ESTA must be made on a participating commercial carrier. The VWP does not apply at all if arriving by air or sea on an unapproved carrier (e.g. a private ship or plane), in which case
8036-422: The visa-exempt or Visa Waiver Program countries. The same rules apply for travel to all U.S. states , Washington, D.C. , Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands , as well as to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands with additional waivers, while similar but separate rules apply to American Samoa . The U.S. government requires all individuals entering or departing the United States by air , or entering
8134-608: The way, the standard Breslau mile was determined. The Saxon post mile ( kursächsische Postmeile or Polizeimeile , introduced on occasion of a survey of the Saxon roads in the 1700s, corresponded to 2,000 Dresden rods , equivalent to 9.062 kilometres. The Hungarian mile ( mérföld or magyar mérföld ) varied from 8.3790 km to 8.9374 km before being standardised as 8.3536 km. The Portuguese mile ( milha ) used in Portugal and Brazil
8232-683: The yard. As with the earlier statute mile , it continues to comprise 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet. The old Imperial value of the yard was used in converting measurements to metric values in India in a 1976 Act of the Indian Parliament. However, the current National Topographic Database of the Survey of India is based on the metric WGS-84 datum , which is also used by the Global Positioning System . The difference from
8330-423: Was cognate with all other Germanic terms for miles . These derived from the nominal ellipsis form of mīlle passus 'mile' or mīlia passuum 'miles', the Roman mile of one thousand paces . The present international mile is usually what is understood by the unqualified term mile . When this distance needs to be distinguished from the nautical mile, the international mile may also be described as
8428-494: Was 2.0873 km prior to metrication. The Russian mile ( миля or русская миля , russkaya milya ) was 7.468 km, divided into 7 versts . The Croatian mile ( hrvatska milja ), first devised by the Jesuit Stjepan Glavač on a 1673 map, is the length of an arc of the equator subtended by 1 / 10 ° or 11.13 km exactly. The previous Croatian mile, now known as
8526-687: Was 24,000 German feet. The standardised Austrian mile used in southern Germany and the Austrian Empire was 7.586 km; the Prussian mile used in northern Germany was 7.5325 km. Following its standardisation by Ole Rømer in the late 17th century, the Danish mile ( mil ) was precisely equal to the Prussian mile and likewise divided into 24,000 feet. These were sometimes treated as equivalent to 7.5 km. Earlier values had varied:
8624-410: Was 32 stadia, 4,000 paces, or 20,000 feet (5,660 m or 6,280 m). The large mile was defined as 5000 paces. The common Dutch mile was preferred by mariners, equating with 15 to one degree of latitude or one degree of longitude on the equator . This was originally based upon Ptolemy 's underestimate of the Earth's circumference. The ratio of 15 Dutch miles to a degree remained fixed while the length of
8722-463: Was available. On these was carved a Roman numeral , indicating the number of miles from the centre of Rome – the Forum. Hence, one can know how far one is from Rome. The Italian mile ( miglio , pl. miglia ) was traditionally considered a direct continuation of the Roman mile, equal to 1000 paces, although its actual value over time or between regions could vary greatly. It
8820-474: Was established by a Weights and Measures Act of Parliament in 1593 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I . The act on the Composition of Yards and Perches had shortened the length of the foot and its associated measures, causing the two methods of determining the mile to diverge. Owing to the importance of the surveyor's rod in deeds and surveying undertaken under Henry VIII , decreasing
8918-502: Was indirectly standardised by Agrippa 's establishment of a standard Roman foot (Agrippa's own) in 29 BC , and the definition of a pace as 5 feet. An Imperial Roman mile thus denoted 5,000 Roman feet . Surveyors and specialised equipment such as the decempeda and dioptra then spread its use. In modern times, Agrippa's Imperial Roman mile was empirically estimated to have been about 1,618 yards (1,479 m; 4,854 ft; 0.919 mi) in length, slightly less than
9016-439: Was not uniformly adopted. Robert Morden had multiple scales on his 17th-century maps which included continuing local values: his map of Hampshire , for example, bore two different "miles" with a ratio of 1 : 1.23 and his map of Dorset had three scales with a ratio of 1 : 1.23 : 1.41 . In both cases, the traditional local units remained longer than the statute mile. The English statute mile
9114-541: Was often used in international contexts from the Middle Ages into the 17th century and is thus also known as the "geographical mile", although the geographical mile is now a separate standard unit. The Arabic mile ( الميل , al-mīl ) was not the common Arabic unit of length ; instead, Arabs and Persians traditionally used the longer parasang or "Arabic league ". The Arabic mile was, however, used by medieval geographers and scientists and constituted
9212-673: Was said to have been codified under Dyfnwal the Bald and Silent and retained unchanged by Hywel the Good . Along with other Welsh units, it was discontinued following the conquest of Wales by Edward I of England in the 13th century. The Scots mile was longer than the English mile, as mentioned by Robert Burns in the first verse of his poem " Tam o' Shanter ". It comprised 8 (Scots) furlongs divided into 320 falls or faws (Scots rods ). It varied from place to place but
9310-606: Was signed by Russia (then the Soviet Union ) and the United States on September 23, 1989. The United States made it effective as of July 17, 2015. Members of certain indigenous peoples born in Canada may enter and remain in the United States indefinitely "for the purpose of employment, study, retirement, investing, and/or immigration" or any other reason by virtue of the Jay Treaty of 1794 , as codified in Section 289 of
9408-443: Was superseded in 1959 by the international mile by international agreement. The Welsh mile ( milltir or milldir ) was 3 statute miles and 1,470 yards long (6.17 km). It comprised 9,000 paces ( cam ), each of 3 Welsh feet ( troedfedd ) of 9 inches ( modfeddi ). (The Welsh inch is usually reckoned as equivalent to the English inch.) Along with other Welsh units , it
9506-475: Was through the United States. Cancelled: The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is not considered a visa, but a prerequisite to traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA has an application fee of 4 USD , and if approved, an additional fee of 17 USD is charged, for a total of 21 USD. Once obtained, the authorization is valid for up to two years or until
9604-468: Was used in Ireland from the 16th century plantations until the 19th century, with residual use into the 20th century. The units were based on " English measure " but used a linear perch measuring 7 yards (6.4 m) as opposed to the English rod of 5.5 yards (5.0 m). The Dutch mile ( mijl ) has had different definitions throughout history. One of the older definitions was 5,600 ells . But
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