Qantas Frequent Flyer - 6 Month Passport validity - travelling to the US

I am travelling to the US with in January 2010.

The US visa waiver program web-site says that your passport must be valid for six months past your expected stay in the United States (unless country-specific agreements provide exemptions). When you click on the link to country-specific agreements, Australia is on the list.

Therefore, it seems that you don't need a 6 month validity on your Australian passport, just that it must not expire before you plan to leave the US. However, my travel agent is saying I need a new passport because it expires a few days before the 6 month period (ie. in July 2010).

Have any of you travelled to the US with an Australian or other passport with less than 6 months validity and had any problems?

Thanks

PS. Here is a link to the web-site: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html#travelertype


I think I've just answered my own question. See the American embassy website Q&A:

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/visas/niv/vwp.html

Here is the Q&A about 1/3 of the way down:

Do Australians need 6 months validity on their passport?
No.


I would still be interested if anyone out there has any practical experience with this...

It would seem to me to be an unnecessary risk of hassle when it is so simple to get a new one (with Smart Gate chip) before the old one expires. YMMV.

I would agree. Rather than take the risk, get a new passport now; given that you are not departing until January there is plenty of time to get a renewal done

Dave

It would seem to me to be an unnecessary risk of hassle when it is so simple to get a new one (with Smart Gate chip) before the old one expires. YMMV.

I agree. Our daughter was over in the US again earlier this year and I convinced her to apply for a new passport with the chip in it. That way she has the latest in Australian Passports and should have zero issues in this area while overseas.

A few weeks later she received a phone call at 6.30pm on a weekday and it was someone from the passport department wanting to know why she was applying for a new passport early? She had 14 months to go.

So they do check up on applications. Back to the OP question - just get a new passport and the peace of mind that goes with it.

E

No questions when I applied 12 months early
(needed so I could renew my APEC card at the same time)

Would just get a new passport in advance and save any potential hassels.

Back to the OP question - just get a new passport and the peace of mind that goes with it.

E

Agreed. It'll also be chipped so the OP will be able to use Smartgate on return to Oz, which may save a lot of waiting in the immigration queue :) - only to have their bags come out last :(

Therefore, it seems that you don't need a 6 month validity on your Australian passport, just that it must not expire before you plan to leave the US. ...

You are correct.
I travelled with someone from work to the US 4 months ago and she had 3 months on her passport. Qantas was very reluctant to let her board the MEL-LAX flight. Had to have a supervisor read the fine print on US entry in MEL to let her board. (She was persistant) At US immigration, she were taken away for questions about her travel plans. The trip was only 1 week. Given that she knew the general '6 months' rule, I think she was (a) fairly lucky, and (b) should have renewed to avoid this.