do i need a visa to go to usa

peediedj

do i need a visa to go to usa for 4 days,as i only have a normaL UK passport and not a bio-metric one?

dzug1

No you don't need a visa.

The biometric requirement is only for passports ISSUED after a certain date - it's not backdated. Earlier passports continue to be valid.

Incapuppy

You will need to satisfy the criteria for the Visa Waiver Programme, do a forum search for more information.

peediedj

Incapuppy wrote: »

You will need to satisfy the criteria for the Visa Waiver Programme, do a forum search for more information.

i have done and sems to be ok

gemmacarolyn

You should be fine, but call the embassy if you're worried: 09042-450100 BE CAREFUL-THIS IS £1.20 A MINUTE!

For more info on contacting the embassy, go here:
usembassy.org.uk/ukaddres.html

alanrowell

dzug1 wrote: »

Earlier passports continue to be valid.

Earlier passports MAY be valid.

In order to get visa free travel to the US your passport should be biometric OR if issued before October 2005 they should be machine readable

Whilst it is unlikely that any passport issued in the UK will not be machine readable it is possible that a UK passport issued by a UK embassy / consulate may not be machine readable.

Also if you want to travel to the US for more than 90 days you will need a visa - the same applies if you are spending time in the US and Canada / Mexico / Caribbean on the same trip

dzug1

alanrowell wrote: »

Earlier passports MAY be valid.

In order to get visa free travel to the US your passport should be biometric OR if issued before October 2005 they should be machine readable

Whilst it is unlikely that any passport issued in the UK will not be machine readable it is possible that a UK passport issued by a UK embassy / consulate may not be machine readable.

Also if you want to travel to the US for more than 90 days you will need a visa - the same applies if you are spending time in the US and Canada / Mexico / Caribbean on the same trip

I thought the last of the Embassies to get facilities to issue machine readable passports did so well over 10 years ago so there should be none of these unreadable ones left. Happy to be corrected though.

As to needing a visa if you visit Canada, etc, in the same trip - absolute rubbish. I've done so on several occasions with no problem whatsoever. The only time you need a visa is if you make a one way trip to one of these countries transitting via the US - ie you don't come back within 90 days.

eslick

my wifes passport was issued in 1998, machine readable even back then. Was in the US late last year and had no issues at the time. Time for a new one this year.

Crabman

Try the US Embassy in London's Visa Waiver Wizard to make you satify the criteria, as Incapuppy mentions

hammy_the_hammer

dzug1 wrote: »

I thought the last of the Embassies to get facilities to issue machine readable passports did so well over 10 years ago so there should be none of these unreadable ones left. Happy to be corrected though.

As to needing a visa if you visit Canada, etc, in the same trip - absolute rubbish. I've done so on several occasions with no problem whatsoever. The only time you need a visa is if you make a one way trip to one of these countries transitting via the US - ie you don't come back within 90 days.

i think AR mean't a trip exceeding 90 days which included travel to both the US and Canada .....i have seen people post on here that think by crossing into Canada and back again they start the 90 day period again ....which isn't how it works

M4RKM

stop going on a tangent guys... the OP wants to go for a 4 DAY trip, not a 4 month trip, so the rules of over 90 days don't apply!!!