US visas

[lucy_love_]

hi

i was just wondering if my children will need a visa or if a should have their passports renewed as they only have 6 months left on them. am i right in thinking that they have to have a year left on them to travel to the US visa free.

any info greatly appreciated.

lucy

 

[Astrid]

If you are travelling using the Visa Waiver Programme then your children's passports will be fine. It explains all on the US Embassy site http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/index.html

It might also be worthwhile checking with the airline you are flying with as there appears to be a lot of conflicting views on the expiry of passports.

One of the children travelling with us in two weeks will have 4 months left on his passport when we travel, however, both the embassy site and British Airways have told us that is fine.

HTH

Astrid

 

[gbrchill]

Provided you can comply with the conditions of the US Visa Waiver Program the existing passports will be fine. Your I-94/W form will be stamped up to 90 days or when your passport expires, which ever is the soonest.

It may be better to bite the bullet and renew the passports now, before they bring in biometric ones that cost a whole lot more to renew. Also, if the US don't move the deadline for biometric passports again you may not be able to use the visa waiver scheme with renewed (but non biometric) passports.

If you aren't travelling really soon I'd renew the passports.

Chris.

 

[kristieuk]

Provided you can comply with the conditions of the US Visa Waiver Program the existing passports will be fine. Your I-94/W form will be stamped up to 90 days or when your passport expires, which ever is the soonest.

It may be better to bite the bullet and renew the passports now, before they bring in biometric ones that cost a whole lot more to renew. Also, if the US don't move the deadline for biometric passports again you may not be able to use the visa waiver scheme with renewed (but non biometric) passports.

If you aren't travelling really soon I'd renew the passports.

Chris.

This is good advice - and also be aware that you can carry up to 9 months unexpired period from an old passport to a new one, so you won't lose anything either.

 

[Shooby doo]

As others have said you will be fine but I would bite the bullet & renew them now,as that removes any doubt.The US have moved the date till @25 Oct '06,mainly because the countries that visit them the most wouldn't have had the technology in place in time & George W needs those extra $s.I have just renewed DS',I registered it online, £3 I think & had the new passport in under 3 weeks. As said they will carry any months left,upto 9,onto the new one.
HTH SD aw:

 

[lucy_love_]

hi

thanks for the advice.

i have 5 weeks till we go. do you think im pushing it if i try to get new passports for the kids. i know some on here have said they have had them back in a week but you never know do you.

hehe everything is last minute for me. we go on the 9th and dh doesnt get back from africa till the 8th. he better blinkin make it home in time.

lucy

 

[angel659]

Hi

I am still confused about this. All my family has just renewed thier passports so they must be fine, but mine was issued in 2001. I travelled last year with no problems, but am soon to travel. I am starting to panic about if my passport is valid for the visa waiver. Its red with 2 strips that contain numbers and was issued in 2001. If I travelled last year ok will it be ok this time round?


Thanks

 

[patdavies]

If issued by a UK passport office, it will be fine.

However, some passports issued abraod by UK embassy/consulate may not be OK

 

[Shooby doo]

Angel it sounds like you have a machine readable passport which is fine!Like the rest of us the next time around for renewal you will have to get one of those sooper dooper new passports that supposedly no-one can forge!!

 

[Lisash]

I renewed passport fo DS & DD a couple of weeks ago as theirs expired early next year and I wanted to beat the October deadline. Typically they have now moved the deadline on another year so I need not have rushed. I took them to the post office and paid an extra £7 for the check and send service. I did this on the Monday and got the new passports on the Saturday! They have added on the extra months we had left on the old ones too so am well impressed.

 

[susieh]

Have just sent off DHs passport for renewal as it expires soon and also sent off for a new one for DS as his has been lost. So they will both have machine readable passports with digital photos which are valid to 2015 but without biometric data.

But what happens in Oct 06 when the US rules change? Does it mean all of us with machine readable passports will still need a Visa because we dont have biometric data in them. DHs new passport will run until 2015 and my own lasts til 2010, will we have to get Visa's up til the time we renew those passports?

Please can someone explain?

 

[patdavies]

But what happens in Oct 06 when the US rules change? Does it mean all of us with machine readable passports will still need a Visa because we dont have biometric data in them. DHs new passport will run until 2015 and my own lasts til 2010, will we have to get Visa's up til the time we renew those passports?

No you won't need visas after October 2006. The new regulations requiring biometric data relate to passports issued after that date.

If your passports and yourselves qualify for VWP now, you will continue to do so until your passport expires.