Visa Services
Reminder To All Nationals Of Visa Waiver Program Countries
Visa Waiver Program (VWP) country passports issued after October 26, 2004, and which are not biometrically enabled will not be valid for travel to the United States without a visa. Nationals of the 27 VWP countries who possess passports issued on or before October 25, 2004, may continue to travel to the United States without obtaining a visa, provided that the passport is machine-readable.
Nationals of VWP countries may travel to the United States for up to 90 days to conduct business or tourism without a visa. The requirements regarding machine-readable and biometric passports are not intended to discourage VWP nationals from traveling to the United States. Rather, this is the next step in increasing security at U.S. Ports of Entry for the safety of U.S. citizens and our foreign guests. The United States continues to welcome international visitors and recognizes their contributions to our country and society.
Biometric passports are an effective addition to current techniques used to verify the identity of travelers and will further international efforts to counter terrorism, identity fraud, and criminal activity. The use of biometrics will ensure a higher standard of identity verification using human traits to confirm that a passport belongs to the person carrying it.
By September 30, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will be enrolling VWP travelers in US-VISIT, DHS' automatic entry/exit system. Nationals of VWP countries who enter the U.S. with a visa are already subject to US- VISIT. Enrollment entails collection of a photograph and electronic capture of two fingerscans using an inkless, digital fingerscanning device in a fast, convenient process.
Q. Does this mean that nationals of VWP countries will not be able to travel without a visa?
As of October 26, 2004, VWP travelers with machine- readable passports issued on or before October 25, 2004, do not require a visa and may still travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. VWP travelers with non-machine-readable passports must obtain a visa to travel to the United States.
Q. Can a person with a VWP country passport issued on or before October 25, 2004 continue to use VWP after October 26?
- VWP travelers with passports issued on or before October 25, 2004 may continue to travel on the Visa Waiver Program after that date only if the passport is machine- readable. Passports issued prior to October 26, 2004 that are not machine-readable will not be valid for VWP travel after that date.
Q. Is a person with a VWP country passport issued on or after October 26, 2004, required to obtain a visa?
- If the VWP traveler's passport is issued on or after October 26, 2004, and that passport is both machine- readable and biometrically enabled, (i.e. containing a computer chip with biometric data), a visa is not required. If the passport is issued on or after October 26, 2004, and is either not machine-readable or not biometrically enabled, the bearer will need to obtain a visa to travel to the United States.
Q. Is the United States going to extend the deadline requiring biometric passports?
- Only the U.S. Congress may extend the legally mandated deadline requiring VWP travelers to have biometrics included in passports issued on or after October 26, 2004. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge have requested an extension of that deadline for two years. We will not speculate as to whether Congress will extend the deadline for VWP countries to issue biometric passports.
Q. What is a machine-readable passport?
- Machine-readable passports have two optical character, typeface lines at the bottom of the biographic page of the passport (underneath the picture). These two lines, when read by machine, reflect the same information, including the name, date and place of birth of the traveler, as the photo page of the passport.
Q. What is a biometric passport?
- Biometric technology uses fixed human traits, such as facial features, finger and iris scans, to verify the identity of an individual. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) selected facial recognition as the globally interoperable biometric for identity verification in passports. A biometric passport valid for VWP travel adheres to the ICAO standard for this data, stored in a contact-less computer chip embedded in the passport, to confirm the passport holder's identity and facilitate international travel.
Q. Why are travelers enrolled in US-VISIT?
- US-VISIT is designed to enhance the security of U.S. citizens and our visitors, facilitate legitimate travel, ensure the integrity of the U.S. immigration system, and safeguard the privacy of our visitors. Enrollment in US- VISIT takes just seconds. US-VISIT safeguards the privacy of our foreign visitors by ensuring that all data collected is stored securely.