Important Rules regarding Travel to and Transit through United States

Entry to the United States under the visa waiver programme is subject to a number of strict conditions which include the requirement for you to hold a Machine Readable British Citizens passport (or one of the countries subscribed to the programme) and to be able to answer "NO" to the questions on Form I-94W which you will be required to fill in before entry to the United States under the Visa Waiver programme. This includes those passengers transiting through the United States

It is a requirement that all passengers have a Machine Readable Passport (MRP)

What is a Machine Readable Passport (MRP) ?

A machine readable passport has the holders personal details eg name, date of birth, nationality and passport number contained in two lines of text at the base of the photo page. This text may be read by machine.

Are all the 'new style' passports machine readable ?

No. However, most of the 'new style' British passports issued in the UK since 1988 will be machine readable, those issued outside the UK may not be.

How do I know if I have a machine readable passport ?

There is a machine readable strip at the bottom of the data page. This means that the passport details can be read by a machine at passport control. If you are in doubt as to whether your passport is machine readable you should contact the British Passport office, if a British passport holder, or your embassy in the United Kingdom for further information if you are not.

My Child is on my passport. The Passport Office advised that this was valid for travel until my child reaches 16, or the passport expires. Does this mean that I will need to obtain a new passport for my child.

Yes. You should obtain a new passport for your child. As machine readable passports typically have bio data for only one traveller in the machine readable zone, children will therefore require their own individual passports in order to travel visa free under the visa waiver scheme. The alternative is to apply for a US visa for your child.

If I do not have a machine readable passport will I need to obtain a US Visa ?

If you are travelling on or after October 1st 2003 you must obtain a new machine readable passport and use the visa waiver scheme or apply for a US visa using your current passport. If you decide to obtain a new passport we strongly recommend that you review the information on visa free travel to ensure that you are indeed eligoble to travel visa free under the visa waiver scheme.

If I enter the United States before 1st October 2003 on my non machine readable passport will I be required to depart from the USA on 1st October 2003 ?

A traveller's eligibility to travel visa free will not be affected if the proposed stay extends beyond the implementation date, provided he or she enters the United States before 1st October 2003.

What should I do if I cannot, or choose not to apply for a machine readable passport?

You will need to obtain a US entry visa. Same day visa applications are not possible.

You can download the visa application for DS-156 from the US embassy website (www.usembassy.org.uk). A completed set of forms is required for each adult, child and infant requiring a US visa.

Your should be aware that you will be required to attend an interview at the US Embassy after sending on the completed forms. The process will therefore take a minimum of 6-8 weeks.

Useful sources of VISA information

US State Department - http://travel.state.gove/vwp.html
US Embassy in London - http://www.usembassy.org.uk
US Visa procedures - http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov

This information should be taken as a basic guide. Full information and advice should be sought from the US Embassy, British Passport office or relevant embassy for your nationality.

Airfares.co.uk or Colchester Travel cannot be held liable for denial of entry into the USA for failure to follow the information provided by the USEmbassy.