USA Visa Information

THE MAJORITY OF BRITISH TRAVELLERS CAN CONTINUE TO TRAVEL TO THE USA WITHOUT A VISA

New visa rules for travel to the USA have been widely reported in the UK media over the last few months and many people are confused as to whether they need a tourist visa or not.

At present, British holidaymakers do not need a tourist visa under the US Visa Waver programme and this will continue for UK travellers provided that they hold a machine readable passport (two typeface lines at the bottom of the biographical page) that was issued in the UK before the 25th. October 2004 and is valid at the time of travel. Most UK holidaymakers can therefore continue to travel under the visa waver scheme. This has been extended to October 2005

UK travellers who obtain or renew a UK passport after 26th. October 2004 and before the introduction of biometric data passports will need a visa to enter the USA. This must be applied for in person at the US Embassy at a cost of £67.

ABTA and Visit USA suggest that those travellers whose passports are due to expire during and following the 26th. October changeover date and before 2006 when biometric passports should be available, can avoid potential problems by renewing their passports at any time preceding 26th. October 2004.

In addition from the 26th. October 2004, all children must have their own documentation to enter the USA and can no longer travel on a parent's passport.

MACHINE READABLE PASSPORTS

A machine readable passport can generally be identified by the presence of two typeface lines printed on the biographical page. This is the page in your passport where your photograph is and the two lines of type run from left to right under the photograph. In 2004 the majority of passport holders in the UK do have this type of passport.

Register to visit the USA
A NEW security regulation will require Britons and other travellers who do not need visas to enter the United States to register their details online with the US Government at least three days before travel.
The new system, known as ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) was announced by the Homeland security secretary Michael Chertoff, who said it would allow the US to screen visitors before even getting on their flight.

The online registration will be valid for 2 years, and will have to be completed by visitors from the 27 Countries currently involved in the US visa waiver Program, including a large number of Western Europe, Andorra, Australia, Brunei, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore. Details of travel plans will have to be updated before each subsequent trip after the initial online registration.

The US will begin to implement the system this year and it will be mandatory for Visa-free travel by 12 January 2009.

From 01 August 2008 the Department of Homeland Security will begin to accept voluntary ESTA applications at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Initially the site will only be available in English with other languages added by 15 October 2008.