Chopper-Chris

I just had a call from friends who would like to come out and see us this summer...apparently, they are now requested to go to the US embassy in London, have fingerprints and get a tourist visa...the visa waiver scheme will be cancelled as of October...

is this true?

scrubbedexpat099

No,

Only if you have a new passport issued after next October which is not machine readable, which UK passports will not be.

Lots of info in the UK press about 4 months ago.

If you have a passport due for renewal soon after next October and you will visit US best to get it renewed now.

Lesley1020

Check this out

http://www.ukpa.gov.uk/news/news.asp...intelement=589

scrubbedexpat099

http://www.ukpa.gov.uk/news/news.asp...intElement=695

This is the up to date one

meauxna

I'm so curious as to what's been televised/published in the UK news about this issue...this question keeps coming up even just on this board. Anyone have an idea why it's confusing people?

scrubbedexpat099

Because...

when it was first reported in the media it came across that everybody would need a visa

when it was clarified that only new passports issued after the October would be effected because it would be many years before EU passports contained biometric data, most of the media had lost interest and it only got a a minor mention

inevitably it came across as look what they are doing to us and we are suppose to be their allies....

Chopper-Chris

Thanks all, this is a great help, we were discussing over the weekend that it seemed odd if the WV scheme was to be cancelled all together, concerned especially that due to the extra 60 pounds per flight, for a family of 4 it would make a trip to the US almost out of reach for many.

Its always nice to see that the UK press (I can only assume the tabloids, again) have been responsible for making the news instead of reporting it.

Thanks again to all for their input