Non-US citizens travelling through the US on the way to or from Mexico, or stopping over there, may need a US visa . If there's even a possibility you might stop in the US, unless you are Canadian or from a country on the US visa waiver scheme, obtaining a visa in advance is a sensible precaution. You can expect a certain amount of queuing wherever you apply in person, but you can always apply by post instead, provided you allow enough time (usually four weeks).
A number of countries, including Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, but not Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa, are on a visa waiver scheme, designed to speed up lengthy immigration procedures.
Visa waiver forms are available from travel agencies, the airline during check-in, or on the plane, and must be presented to immigration on arrival. Be sure to return the part stapled into your passport when you leave the US: if it isn't returned within the visa expiry time, computer records automatically log you as an illegal alien. If re-entering the US by land from Mexico, you will need to have a form with you in order to be exempt from visa requirements, so make sure you get one in advance. Getting a US visa in Mexico will be a nightmare of queuing and frustration.
Many US airports do not have transit lounges, so even if you are on a through flight you may have to go through US immigration and customs. This can easily take two hours, so bear the delay in mind if you have an onward flight to catch.
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