Yasmina2005

VISITOR VISA WAIVER PROGRAM (VWP) CHANGES FOR WAIVER COUNTRIES:

The 27 countries participating in the VWP include: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Any traveler from these 27 countries will need a machine-readable passport on June 26, 2005 to enter the United States. Last year, approximately 15 million VWP travelers visited the United States.


MACHINE READABLE PASSPORTS REQUIRED FOR ALL VISA WAIVER PROGRAM TRAVEL AS OF JUNE 26, 2005 - Below are some details taken from the online Press Room of the US. Department of Homeland Security.

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary

Department of Homeland Security
Contact: (202) 282-8010

May 12, 2005

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today reminded travelers from 27 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries that as of June 26, 2005, they must have a machine-readable passport to enter the United States without a visa, as mandated by Congress. Machine-readable passports have a sequence of lines that can be swiped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to confirm the passport holder’s identity quickly and to obtain other information about the holder typically found on a passport’s inside cover.

The Immigration and Nationality Act originally set October 1, 2003 as the date by which VWP travelers needed to present a machine-readable passport. At the request of 23 of the 27 VWP countries, the United States postponed that requirement until October 26, 2004, for those requesting countries. For a limited period, DHS has been authorizing a one-time waiver for entry into the country for VWP travelers without a machine-readable passport, at no charge to the traveler. This limited period will end on June 26, 2005. Beginning June 26, 2005, transportation carriers will be fined $3,300, per violation, for transporting any VWP traveler to the United States without a machine-readable passport. Similarly, VWP travelers arriving in the United States on that date without a machine-readable passport should not anticipate being granted one-time entry into the country.

“The machine-readable passport benefits foreign visitors as much as it does homeland security,” said Randy Beardsworth, Acting Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security. “With one fast swipe, front line officers can pull up the information that they need to process legitimate travelers quickly. At the same time, this immediate information access enables our officers to focus even more on identifying and interdicting potential threats.”

Since October 26, 2004, CBP officers have notified VWP travelers entering the United States with a letter explaining the new entry requirements. In addition, VWP countries are working closely with the United States Government to communicate information about these new requirements to their citizens. Anyone from the 27 VWP countries thinking of traveling to the United States is encouraged to check with their passport issuing authority to ensure they are in possession of a machine-readable passport. As an alternative for persons with immediate travel plans who are unable to obtain a machine-readable passport in time, the individual may apply for a U.S. visa at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad.

The machine-readable passport requirements do not affect the separate congressionally mandated deadline requiring VWP country passports issued on or after October 26, 2005, to contain biometrics in order to be used for visa free travel to the United States.

Maple Leaf

I am australian citizen. my passport was issued in 2002. it is machine readable...aussies can find further information at this site..>
http://www.passports.gov.au/Web/us_visa_entry.aspx

JAJ

The problem is more likely to affect people who have had passports issued at overseas consulates.

Until very recently (and perhaps even now) many countries were still issuing non machine readable passports at overseas embassies/consulates, despite issuing machine readable passports in the home country.

Some countries have also been putting children on parent's passports until very recently - this is also a no-no for the US visa waiver, even if the passport is machine readable.

I believe full Australian passports are now issued overseas at only two locations - Washington DC and London (UK). Other overseas missions forward passport applications to Washington, London, or to Australia for processing.

This ensures that every new full validity Australian passport is machine readable. Emergency passports that are not machine readable are still issued by Australian missions worldwide.

Jeremy

Maple Leaf

Thanks JAJ for this additional information. I had been wondering the where's and how fors of issuence if and when i require it *S*

JAJ

Visit http://www.ahc-ottawa.org

Basically you apply at the nearest Australian consulate in Canada, and as far as I know it will get sent to Washington DC to be issued.

Jeremy

Azam Ali

What is the diffrent between Biomatric and Machine readable passport. Previously i thought that US asking for biomatric passports.

I belive our singapore passport in machine readable but they are starting to issue biomartic passport from end of 2005.

Can we use current machine readable passport to travel to US

JAJ

Machine readable simply means there are two lines of data at the bottom of the ID page that can be scanned electronically, to bring up the ID data that you see.

Biometrics means that the passport will include (electronically) more details about the person. It's a more advanced version of a photograph.

The US is asking for both, machine readable now, and biometric later on.

For the time being, yes.



Jeremy

ptlabs

To add to what Jeremy mentioned, Singapore has recently stopped issuing new passports in overseas missions. I believe all new Singapore passport applications are processed in Singapore.

The twin issues of security and cost of storing blank MRPs and MRP-issuing machines in overseas missions might have something to do with this decision.

I wonder if they have an ultra-secure mode of shipping freshly issued MRPs to the overseas missions.

Peter

Azam Ali

I do not know if it is true, as one of my niece has recently lost her passport on Toronto, which was replace by Singapore High Comm in Canada, I am not sure if it is machine readable or not.

Singapore announced that they are start issuing biomatric passport from Oct 05, all previously issue passports would still remain valid, only people would like to trevel to US are advice to change into biomatic.

Morever new passports would be valid for 5 years instead of usual 10 year.

ptlabs

Samples of MRP and non-MRP passports can be seen here
http://app.ica.gov.sg/pressrelease/p....asp?pr_id=241

Singapore missions overseas definitely still accept applications for Singapore passports (that has not changed). It's just that the passports are 'activated' and processed in Singapore, and forwarded to the overseas missions for distribution/collection.

Peter