Visitors to the US - Visas and fingerprinting - Part 2

[Theodoric]

Earlier this year there was a flurry of discussion on this subject. As I recall, the US had said that British travellers holding a "machine-readable" passport could still travel to the US without a visa for the 10-year lifetime of their document and would be photographed and fingerprinted on arrival. A very recent BBC site item repeats the bit about fingerprinting but says nothing about visa requirements. So, what is the current position regarding the need for visas?

[Jerrek]

You need a machine readable passport by late 2004, with biometric data. If you don't, you need a visa.

Canadians are exempted.

[punky]

Basically, there are two different things here; Machine readable passports and biometrics.

Basically, the US wants all visa waiver countries to have machine readable passports, and has done for a long while. The deadline for that has been set at Oct 26th 2004. For most people this isn't a biig deal at all, since all the small red ones are machine readable. The have been produced since 1995 that I know of, so virtually everyone should have one by now. The only change with this is that all children, regardless of age, needs their own Machine Readable passport. (I don't think they can put on their parents one now like the good old days).

Secondly is this dastardly biometrics issue. Basically, they are going to fingerprint (inkless) and photograph everyone coming in. All being well, this shouldn't be much of a hardship as it only takes a min or so, and they do this during routine questioning. Ideally, they also want everyone to have their own biometric passport too. And this is where it gets a bit confusing. The US wants all biometric passports after 26/10/04, but the UKPS alone said this is impossible until mid 2005 at the earliest. Therefore anyone who gets a passport issued between 26/10/04 and the time that Biometric passports get issued, those people will NOT be eligable to travel under the visa waiver program. They will need a visitors visa (B). With those visitors can stay for 6 months at a time (VWP can only stay 3 months) and they last for 10 years. They only take a month of so to get (upto 2 months if you have been denied a visa before, or have a criminal record). Compared to some US visas, they are relatively easy to get, but it is still a major pain in the neck. Not least as it requires a personal interview at the embassy in Grosvenor Square. If you have been issued a passport prior to 26/10/04 then you ARE eligible to travel without a visa under the VWP, so long as it is valid for 6 months beyoind your return.

This is how I understand it anyways. HTH

[Charlie_Bubble]

Basically if you have a passport now, or get one before November (I think it's November, could be October) then you will not require a visa. If you get a passport issued after this date then the US authorities say it should have the biometric data on it, or you will have to get a visa. As the UK government doesn't have the ability to do this yet, it basically means you would have to get a visa.

Originally Posted by Jerrek

You need a machine readable passport by late 2004, with biometric data. If you don't, you need a visa.

Canadians are exempted.

if its machine readable it doesnt have to have biometric data this year. England is exempt from the biometric bit until a bit later.

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/visa/niv/mrp.htm


i think you will find that Canadians are Exempt

[Simon Rochelle]

After the number of British born bomb suspects they arrested this week, maybe the US should make there checks more stringent even for people arriving from the UK, hell, i dont mind biometric checks or finger prints, ive nothing to hide, and id probably feel more safer if these things were in place.

[Charlie_Bubble]

Personally I'm glad they've put the ID card scheme back into the ring. Personally I don't feel threatened or unsafe at the moment. My dad was in the RAF we lived in Germany in the late 80s when the IRA was active over there and was across the road in my school boarding house when a car bomb went off outside a german civilian mess. However, I am going to a major sporting event in a couple of months in Cardiff and it has crossed my mind it could be a target with 75,000+ people in one small area.

[danielf]

It looks like I will be getting myself a new passport shortly. My present one (machine readable) expires in 18 months. If I renew next year, I won't have biometric data on it, so I'll have to get a visa to get into the US.

I definitely don't want to travel to London (and go through all the hassle as well as pay the visa fees) to get a visa every time I need (note: need, not want) to go to the US.


So, by renewing before October, I don't need to get a visa. I will probably be high on the list of suspect individuals for dodging the new rules by getting a new passport 18 months early, but so be it...

Originally Posted by Charlie_Bubble

Personally I'm glad they've put the ID card scheme back into the ring. Personally I don't feel threatened or unsafe at the moment

(Oh gods, I *really* don't want to start off the ID card threads again, but I *have* to ask this...)

Then why are you "glad" that the ID card scheme is back? How is that going to make you feel safer?

I am going to a major sporting event in a couple of months in Cardiff and it has crossed my mind it could be a target with 75,000+ people in one small area.

And how are ID cards going to protect you there?

Personally I hope that we have another asylum/ immigration scandal in the near future that makes Blunkett's tenure as Home Secretary completely untenable so that he's forced to resign which means we're going to be *much* less likely to get an ID card scheme foisted on us.

[Charlie_Bubble]

Originally Posted by Graham

(Oh gods, I *really* don't want to start off the ID card threads again, but I *have* to ask this...)

Then why are you "glad" that the ID card scheme is back? How is that going to make you feel safer?



And how are ID cards going to protect you there?

Personally I hope that we have another asylum/ immigration scandal in the near future that makes Blunkett's tenure as Home Secretary completely untenable so that he's forced to resign which means we're going to be *much* less likely to get an ID card scheme foisted on us.

They might not, but I like to think that if they can get a decent scheme going, then people won't be able to sneak into the country illegally, benefit from being here while not paying into society or move around as easily if they intend to do certain things. I also think that if they can combine various bits of info such as NI card, driving licence, passport, NHS card etc on a single card it'll be easier for people and more cost efficient in the future.

[Charlie_Bubble]

Originally Posted by Graham

And how are ID cards going to protect you there?

I don't believe I said it would. I was merely saying that my attending this event did make the threat cross my mind.

Originally Posted by Charlie_Bubble

They might not, but I like to think that if they can get a decent scheme going, then people won't be able to sneak into the country illegally, benefit from being here while not paying into society or move around as easily if they intend to do certain things. I also think that if they can combine various bits of info such as NI card, driving licence, passport, NHS card etc on a single card it'll be easier for people and more cost efficient in the future.

Given the singular lack of competence and massive wastes of money and public enquiries that have been demonstrated/ followed every other disastrous attempt by any governemnt to introduce new computer schemes etc, how much hope do you *really* have that this one is going to be *any* different???

Originally Posted by Charlie_Bubble

I don't believe I said it would. I was merely saying that my attending this event did make the threat cross my mind.

Which is what the government seem to be relying on. Everyone is going to be so scared of the "terrorist threat" that they'll knuckle under to something that is really completely unnecessary.

[Charlie_Bubble]

Originally Posted by Graham

Which is what the government seem to be relying on. Everyone is going to be so scared of the "terrorist threat" that they'll knuckle under to something that is really completely unnecessary.

In your opinion.

[Bifta]

okso .. I might be going to NYC in a few weeks, I already have a 10 year passport with probably 3 or 4 years left on it, will I be able to get into the USA with it or do I need a visa? (sorry if I sound stupid)