Biometric passport required for UK Visa Waiver entry USA from 1 April 2016
Jan 4, 2016, 7:44 am
#1
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Biometric passport required for UK Visa Waiver entry USA from 1 April 2016
Mods - I would ask that you leave this here for a little while as I nearly got caught out by this forthcoming change.....
Gov.uk reports that "On 18 December 2015, the US Congress passed a Bill updating the requirements for the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP); under the new rules, with effect from 1 April 2016 all travellers wishing to enter the US under the VWP will need to hold a passport with an integrated chip."
My machine-readable (but non-biometric) expires in August - if I hadn't come across this then I would have arrived at the airport in April with my current passport and, in all probability, been turned away......
The "Important information for travel to the USA" section of MMB doesn't have this update.
I know that not many people will still have non-biometric passports, but for those that do who are planning to travel to the US you may want to get a new passport!
Gov.uk reports that "On 18 December 2015, the US Congress passed a Bill updating the requirements for the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP); under the new rules, with effect from 1 April 2016 all travellers wishing to enter the US under the VWP will need to hold a passport with an integrated chip."
My machine-readable (but non-biometric) expires in August - if I hadn't come across this then I would have arrived at the airport in April with my current passport and, in all probability, been turned away......
The "Important information for travel to the USA" section of MMB doesn't have this update.
I know that not many people will still have non-biometric passports, but for those that do who are planning to travel to the US you may want to get a new passport!
Jan 4, 2016, 7:58 am
#2
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If I were you, I would renew it in March anyhow, since on UK passports, you can roll over the unused time.
I'm in the same boat (though I have a Canadian passport that expires 2018. I do have other passports with chips in them, but these are not eligible for visa free travel to America.)
I'm in the same boat (though I have a Canadian passport that expires 2018. I do have other passports with chips in them, but these are not eligible for visa free travel to America.)
Jan 4, 2016, 9:18 am
#3
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I got caught when they made the switch to machine readable some years back. Pitched up at IAH handed over my passport, got a funny look, then asked why I hand't renewed my passport. I said "well it hasn't expired!". Even funnier look. He asks for my paperwork & says "follow me". We walk off to some back room with plastic chairs & a load of unsavoury looking characters, together with a big desk at the front. He chucks my passport into an in-tray on the desk & says "We've got another one here". I look puzzled at the guy behind the desk, who then explains I need a machine readable passport & to go and sit down. After about 30mins he calls me over, gives me a piece of paper to sign, stamps my passport & says "change your passport before you come back, have a nice day".
It only dawned on my afterwards I was sat there with my other passport in my bag which was machine readable. In hindsight probably best I had forgot it was there as it may have caused more trouble, if I'd produced it!
It only dawned on my afterwards I was sat there with my other passport in my bag which was machine readable. In hindsight probably best I had forgot it was there as it may have caused more trouble, if I'd produced it!
Jan 4, 2016, 9:25 am
#4
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Mods - I would ask that you leave this here for a little while as I nearly got caught out by this forthcoming change.....
Gov.uk reports that "On 18 December 2015, the US Congress passed a Bill updating the requirements for the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP); under the new rules, with effect from 1 April 2016 all travellers wishing to enter the US under the VWP will need to hold a passport with an integrated chip."
My machine-readable (but non-biometric) expires in August - if I hadn't come across this then I would have arrived at the airport in April with my current passport and, in all probability, been turned away......
The "Important information for travel to the USA" section of MMB doesn't have this update.
I know that not many people will still have non-biometric passports, but for those that do who are planning to travel to the US you may want to get a new passport!
Gov.uk reports that "On 18 December 2015, the US Congress passed a Bill updating the requirements for the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP); under the new rules, with effect from 1 April 2016 all travellers wishing to enter the US under the VWP will need to hold a passport with an integrated chip."
My machine-readable (but non-biometric) expires in August - if I hadn't come across this then I would have arrived at the airport in April with my current passport and, in all probability, been turned away......
The "Important information for travel to the USA" section of MMB doesn't have this update.
I know that not many people will still have non-biometric passports, but for those that do who are planning to travel to the US you may want to get a new passport!
The passports will need to have the integrated chip, whether it functions or not is another matter.
Last edited by GUWonder; Jan 4, 2016 at 9:31 am
Jan 4, 2016, 2:01 pm
#6
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If it has that double rectangle with circle in the middle design on the front cover of your passport and your passport is from a US VWP country for citizens of a US VWP country, it's got the integrated chip and is deemed sufficiently biometric.
http://www.practicalhacks.com/wp-con...09-600x402.jpg
If it lacks that logo on the cover but has >>>><<<<>> kind of stuff on the bottom of the biodata page, then it's a machine readable passport but not an epassport of the sort the US will require for those using the US VWP.
http://www.practicalhacks.com/wp-con...09-600x402.jpg
If it lacks that logo on the cover but has >>>><<<<>> kind of stuff on the bottom of the biodata page, then it's a machine readable passport but not an epassport of the sort the US will require for those using the US VWP.
Jan 4, 2016, 7:05 pm
#8
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The passport on the left is a machine readable passport
The passport on the right is an epassport.
The passport on the right is an epassport.
Mar 4, 2016, 3:02 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1
Hi
This may be a daft question but as the new rules state "from the 1st April" does this mean that if you depart the UK on March 27th and return from the US on April 12th I should be fine? They fact being I'm not entering the USA after the 1/4.
This may be a daft question but as the new rules state "from the 1st April" does this mean that if you depart the UK on March 27th and return from the US on April 12th I should be fine? They fact being I'm not entering the USA after the 1/4.
Mar 4, 2016, 4:29 am
#10
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May 5, 2016, 4:11 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 1
What if my chip doesn't work?
I have used my passport a few times this year and the last time I tried the e fast track it would not work. I can't test it but don't want to get turn away! All advise/ comments r welcomed. Flying from UK to NY.
May 6, 2016, 7:45 pm
#12
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Those don't work all the time, even for passports that otherwise work without problem (source: London based colleague holding an UK passport.)
(no experience with this personally, as I have a working epassport that I use without problems for German easypass/SES/etc...)
Last edited by AA_EXP09; May 6, 2016 at 7:50 pm