Valid passport or not ? help please

tee_pee_2

I wuld get a new one, when we went to USA the travel agent stipulated we had 6months left on our passport

Smiley_Mum

Why don't you contact the US Embassy direct and get an official reply from them that you can take with you if you do decide to wing it and not get a renewal.

Bob63

skintscotsman wrote:

Your passport will be okay. If the above posters had cared to consult the US Embassy website, they would have found out the following:

But, like I said, if the immigration officer is having a bad day you will be on the next plane back. Plus whatever the embassy site might say, most airlines will refuse to fly you with less than 6 months left on your passport. It just isn't worth taking a chance when you run a real risk of totally messing up your trip for the sake of a few months worth of passport validity. Believe me, I go to the USA up to 13 times per year, I know just what US customs & immigration is capable of.

Mike

lisadonaldson

Thanks I will just pay the £51 and get the new passport would not want to give my husband the peace of two weeks holiday without me although he would have the kids so is tempting. !! only kidding will get passport. Thanks everyone

skintscotsman

cheesy.mike wrote:

But, like I said, if the immigration officer is having a bad day you will be on the next plane back. Plus whatever the embassy site might say, most airlines will refuse to fly you with less than 6 months left on your passport. It just isn't worth taking a chance when you run a real risk of totally messing up your trip for the sake of a few months worth of passport validity. Believe me, I go to the USA up to 13 times per year, I know just what US customs & immigration is capable of.

Mike

Okay, so what you're saying is the US have put guidelines on their Embassy's website and then each Immigration Officer can make up his/her own mind?

skintscotsman

Smiley_Mum wrote:

Why don't you contact the US Embassy direct and get an official reply from them that you can take with you if you do decide to wing it and not get a renewal.

Probably easier said than done.............

scheming_gypsy

lisadonaldson wrote:

Thanks I will just pay the £51 and get the new passport would not want to give my husband the peace of two weeks holiday without me although he would have the kids so is tempting. !! only kidding will get passport. Thanks everyone

i got my new passport in under a week last May but look at it this way. You're passport is going to run out in August 2006 whether you go to America or not so you'll need a new passport anyway.

gh38

skintscotsman wrote:

Okay, so what you're saying is the US have put guidelines on their Embassy's website and then each Immigration Officer can make up his/her own mind?

Yes, this is true. The Immigration Officer has absolute discretion over who they let in. They don't have to refer anything to their superiors, they can just refuse you entry. One of the things that you waive under the Visa Waiver Program is any right to appeal too.

kenshaz

We should impose the same restrictions and discretions on visitors to the UK from The USA that they impose when we visit them ,they do not make you exactly welcome.

Smiley_Mum

kenshaz wrote:

We should impose the same restrictions and discretions on visitors to the UK from The USA that they impose when we visit them ,they do not make you exactly welcome.

I remember reading somewhere that there are more illegal aliens in the US than there are actual genuine citizens so perhaps that's why. :-)