US Visas

[Grumpy John]

I am sure I am not the only one who is going to ask this question but if I read it correctly from October 26, 2004 you will need a visa to enter the US either for business or pleasure.

The visa entails paying £67 or thereabouts for it plus you have got to go to the US embassy to get it as it involves a picture and fingerprint. I also understand that every member of the family must have it done.

Please correct me if I have read it wrong.

We return from 3 weeks in Orlando on October 23 but will probably be looking to go out again just after Christmas.

Anyone with any info please pass it on because I am sure there are a lot of people out there who maybe do not realise what is going on and what they might have to go through if they are flying out after October 26.

 

[Daftman]

GRUMPY JOHN,

IF YOU HOLD A MACHINE READABLE, RED PASSPORT YOU CAN STILL USE THE VISA WAIVER PROGRAMME UNTIL YOUR PASSPORT EXPIRES,SO IF FOR EXAMPLE YOU HAVE JUST RENEWED YOUR PASSPORT YOU CAN USE IT STILL FOR 10 YEARS,ALL THAT WILL HAPPEN IS WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN THE US THEY WILL FINGERPRINT AND PHOTOGRAPH YOU.

HOPE THAT MAKES IT A BIT CLEARER

REGARDS

SEAN.

 

[auds35]

Hi,
I too am concerned about this. My passport has five years to run and my children's run out in March. I am applying for theirs now. How do you know if your passport is machine readable? I have a kind of computer 'slash' code at the bottom of a page. I assume this is the code. Can you assist 'Grumpy John?

 

[IAN5150a]

The machine readable ones their on about are not being issued til mid 2005 their different to the one they accept now so if you plan on going between oct 04 and mid 05 you DO need a VISA at a cost of £67 and personal appointment at US Embassey in London

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

There's more info in this recent thread.

Grumpy John, you will not need a visa as your current passport (which IS machine readable - all UK passports since 1991 are) will allow you to continue using the visa-waiver scheme (although you will have to provide a fingerprint and photo when you pass through US Immigration).

Auds35, I recommend you renew your children's passports before 26 October 2004 otherwise they will require a visa even though your passport will continue to provide visaless entry until it expires in 5 years time.

Regards

Rob

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Originally posted by IAN5150a
The machine readable ones their on about are not being issued til mid 2005 their different to the one they accept now so if you plan on going between oct 04 and mid 05 you DO need a VISA at a cost of £67 and personal appointment at US Embassey in London

No you don't. Just so long as you have a machine readable passport issued before 26 October 2004 you can continue to enter the USA without a visa until that passport expires.

Regards

Rob

 

[IAN5150a]

Sorry Rob! just repeating what I Thouroughly read in one of the papers On Friday,Im not saying whos right but it clearly says these new passports have a micro chip in them!! and that 8 month gap will mean visas are required.

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

This is the official guidance from the US Embassy in London. It includes this statement:

Those travelers 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. Those UK travelers 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.

Just to confirm, all UK passports since 1991 have been machine readable (they have a barcode at the bottom of our page which contains the photo.

Ian, I think your Friday newspaper might have got its facts wrong.

Regards

Rob

 

[IAN5150a]

Hey!! It wasnt the Daily Sport I was reading!!!,There you go then!

 

[auds35]

Many thanks for your help Rob. If only the newspapers got their act together before printing..much of this confusion wouldn't occur. I feel a lot better now.

 

[Red-Snapper]

Ian are you sure it wasnt the daily sport cause they didnt get it right.

As with most things these days the press act with impulse hysteria before actually getting their facts correct - this new rule basically only affects those people who need new passports between October 2004 and probably mid 2005 (when our passport office gets around to issuing the biometric ones) but I have seen/heard numerous comments about it destroying American tourism etc