nickb

Hello all you Brits

I am a British Citizen living in Canada as a 'Permanent Resident'.
I need to travel to the U.S. from here later in the year. However my British passport does not have a barcode (as it was issued in Riyadh when I lived there). I have recently become aware of the farce of getting paperwork to get to the States these days, and I was wondering if any of you have some knowledge on the U.S. visa process and requirements.

Where should I go to get a visa, and how much does it cost? Can I do this anywhere online? Is the process pretty easy?

Is it possible to get a British passport here in Canada that IS machine readable and therefore meet requirements?

Do the U.S. have any plans to require more than just a machine readable passport in the future?

Apologies if the answers to these questions are already buried in this forum somewhere.

Bob

Get a new passport, apply at the embassy or consulate and it'll take a couple weeks, check the website, don't have it to hand for canada, but shouldn't be a problem, takes 7-14 days via washington in the states, and the new passports are all machine readable.

The states is asking that passports have biometric data, but I think that has been delayed because no one is issuing them yet.

As for your PR status, wouldn't know how that's affected, but for the States, wouldn't matter about visa, and you'd need a machine readble passport regardless of visa status.

Pretty Flowers

I travel to the US fairly regularily on business and I haven't needed to apply for a visa/ change my passport. They will let you in under a normal visa, via the visa waiver programme, you just need to submit to a finger print and eye scan.

There should be no problem It takes about 5-10 mins extra that's all

Bob

his problem is, his passport ain't machine readable...so he'll need a new passport.

JAJ

http://travel.state.gov
But I would suggest just getting a new British passport.

As far as I'm aware, passports issued at the British High Commission in Ottawa are machine readable. http://www.britainincanada.org

Yes - a biometric passport requirement is on the horizon, although most countries are moving in this direction.

You'll find things a lot easier if you just get a Canadian passport as soon as you are eligible.

Jeremy

nickb

Cheers everyone.

So a new British passport should be OK for me in the short term.
Anybody know how long this takes from Ottawa? Just wondering if I should wait a while to see what happens with all this biometric joviality.

Bob

get new passport now, from my understanding, the biometrics only have to be in new passports issued after a certain date, which means they will probably be a lot harder to get while abroad...
no idea about times for canada in getting one, but can't image it being much different to the states....so a couple weeks tops.

nickb

This is on the UK passport site: http://www.ukpa.gov.uk
So I just need to confirm Ottawa issue machine readable passports.


26 July 2004
VISA-FREE TRAVEL TO THE USA FOR BRITISH VISITORS EXTENDED FOR A FURTHER YEAR

The US Senate has endorsed a one-year extension to the requirement for travellers under the Visa Waiver Programme to hold biometric passports.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and UK Passport Service (UKPS) welcome this decision, which will now enable British travellers with valid machine-readable passports issued before the new deadline to travel to the US under the Visa Waiver Programme up to, and beyond, October 2005.

Notes:

1. Last year, the US extended until 26 October 2004 its requirement for all British visitors, including children, travelling to the US under the Visa Waiver Programme to hold a valid machine-readable passport. This deadline will not be changed by the latest decision in Congress.

2. A British passport is machine-readable when there are two lines of letters, numbers and chevrons (“>>>>�) printed at the bottom of the personal information page (page with photograph and personal details). The text will be on a white strip on older machine-readable passports and directly on the pink page of newer passports. If there are no lines of text, the passport is not machine-readable.

3. Biometrics are unique personal features which help identify the passport holder (the three most common are face, finger and iris).

4. Further information about passport and visa requirements for the USA is available on the US Embassy website: www.usembassy.org.uk.

iaink

They issue 30000 a year, I hope they are machine readable!
My boss travels to the States on an Ottawa issued PP, so I guess its machine readable.