Imported post
New US Passport and Visa Rules - as at 19th January 2004
There has been a great deal of speculation recently about new passport and visa requirements for UK citizens travelling to the US.
According to the American Embassy in London the situation is as follows:
The vast majority of UK citizens will continue to be eligible to travel to the U.S. visa free by using the Visa Waiver Program which is currently in place.
The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 2002 does require that all persons travelling visa free to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program have a biometric chip identifier in their passport by October 26, 2004.
Those travellers who use passports issued after October 26, 2004, that do not contain a biometric identifier, will be required to obtain a U.S. visa. That visa will contain biometric information.
However, UK officials have made clear that they do not anticipate that they will be able to begin issuing passports with biometric chips by October 26 2004, raising the possibility that some UK citizens will need to obtain a tourist/business visa for travel to the U.S.
Those UK travellers who use machine-readable passports lacking a biometric chip but issued before October 26, 2004 will be able to continue to use the Visa Waiver Program until that passport expires, and until that time will not need a visa for travel to the US.
In summary therefore, the only UK citizens travelling to the US who will be affected by the new rules are:
* Travellers who currently hold a machine readable passport that will expire after the 26 October 2004 and before the new biometric passports are available for issue. These people will have to obtain a tourist/business visa for travel to the US after expiry of their current passport.
* Travellers whose passports were issued outside the UK where the facility to issue machine readable passports was not available. This group should apply for a machine readable passport well before 26 October 2004
* Children travelling on the same passport as either of their parents will now require their own machine readable passport and should apply well before 26 October 2004.
Any passenger whose passport will expire around the implementation date of 26 October 2004 should ensure that it is renewed well ahead of that date.
New US Passport and Visa Rules - as at 19th January 2004
There has been a great deal of speculation recently about new passport and visa requirements for UK citizens travelling to the US.
According to the American Embassy in London the situation is as follows:
The vast majority of UK citizens will continue to be eligible to travel to the U.S. visa free by using the Visa Waiver Program which is currently in place.
The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 2002 does require that all persons travelling visa free to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program have a biometric chip identifier in their passport by October 26, 2004.
Those travellers who use passports issued after October 26, 2004, that do not contain a biometric identifier, will be required to obtain a U.S. visa. That visa will contain biometric information.
However, UK officials have made clear that they do not anticipate that they will be able to begin issuing passports with biometric chips by October 26 2004, raising the possibility that some UK citizens will need to obtain a tourist/business visa for travel to the U.S.
Those UK travellers who use machine-readable passports lacking a biometric chip but issued before October 26, 2004 will be able to continue to use the Visa Waiver Program until that passport expires, and until that time will not need a visa for travel to the US.
In summary therefore, the only UK citizens travelling to the US who will be affected by the new rules are:
* Travellers who currently hold a machine readable passport that will expire after the 26 October 2004 and before the new biometric passports are available for issue. These people will have to obtain a tourist/business visa for travel to the US after expiry of their current passport.
* Travellers whose passports were issued outside the UK where the facility to issue machine readable passports was not available. This group should apply for a machine readable passport well before 26 October 2004
* Children travelling on the same passport as either of their parents will now require their own machine readable passport and should apply well before 26 October 2004.
Any passenger whose passport will expire around the implementation date of 26 October 2004 should ensure that it is renewed well ahead of that date.