Biometric passports & the US

alanrowell

News from the FT on biometric passports

Giste of it is that for passports issued after October 2005 a digital photograph - as in all UK passports & most European - will be acceptable and you'll be able to use the VWP assuming they meet all the other requirements.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/0102e7c0-d855-11d9-8fa7-00000e2511c8.html

telly-addict

Isn't the concern that the biometric passports are unlikely to be available immediately after 26 October 2005 and consequently if your passport is issued say on 27 Oct, you need a visa.

The easy way round this is to renew your passport early and any unused time (up to 9 months) will be added on. We did this for my daughter and I think even if you are going to lose out on a couple of months' validity it is worth avoiding the hassle and expense of getting a visa.

alanrowell

This is actually a major shift in US policy.

From October 26th 2005 the proposal was that all new passports HAD to be biometric - ie iris / fingerprint information held on an electronic chip.

However the UK would not be in a position to issue biometric passports until the middle of 2006 and would continue issuing the current type of Machine Readable Passports with the digitised photo on it.

As a result anyone holding a passport issued between October 2005 & the middle of 2006 would have had no option but to get a full visa in order to go to the US.

This new concession means that even with passports issued after October 2005 - all of which are MRP & have a digitised photo - won't require the holder to get a full visa but can use the Visa Waiver Program like everyone who has a MRP with photo issued before October 2005.