NONIMMIGRANT VISA SERVICES
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP)
Reminder to All Nationals of Visa Waiver Program Countries,
April 27, 2004:
Visa Waiver Program (VWP) country passports
issued after October 26, 2004, and which are not biometrically enabled,
will not be valid for travel to the United States without a visa.
Nationals of the 27 VWP countries who possess passports issued on
or before October 25, 2004, may continue to travel to the United
States without obtaining a visa, provided that the passport is machine-readable.
Nationals of VWP countries may travel
to the United States for up to 90 days to conduct business or tourism
without a visa. The requirements regarding machine-readable and
biometric passports are not intended to discourage VWP nationals
from traveling to the United States. Rather, this is the next step
in increasing security at U.S. Ports of Entry for the safety of
U.S. citizens and our foreign guests. The United States continues
to welcome international visitors and recognizes their contributions
to our country and society.
Biometric passports are an effective
addition to current techniques used to verify the identity of travelers
and will further international efforts to counter terrorism, identity
fraud, and criminal activity. The use of biometrics will ensure
a higher standard of identity verification using human traits to
confirm that a passport belongs to the person carrying it.
By September 30, the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) will be enrolling VWP travelers in US-VISIT, DHS'
automatic entry/exit system. Nationals of VWP countries who enter
the U.S. with a visa are already subject to US-VISIT. Enrollment
entails collection of a photograph and electronic capture of two
fingerscans using an inkless, digital fingerscanning device in a
fast, convenient process.
Does this mean that nationals of VWP
countries will not be able to travel without a visa?
As of October 26, 2004, VWP travelers with machine-readable passports
issued on or before October 25, 2004, do not require a visa and
may still travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.
VWP travelers with non-machine-readable passports must obtain a
visa to travel to the United States.
Can a person with a VWP country passport
issued on or before October 25, 2004 continue to use VWP after October
26?
VWP travelers with passports issued on or before October 25,
2004 may continue to travel on the Visa Waiver Program after that
date only if the passport is machine-readable. Passports issued
prior to October 26, 2004 that are not machine-readable will not
be valid for VWP travel after that date.
Is a person with a VWP country passport
issued on or after October 26, 2004, required to obtain a visa?
If the VWP traveler's passport is issued on or after October 26,
2004, and that passport is both machine-readable and biometrically
enabled, (i.e. containing a computer chip with biometric data),
a visa is not required. If the passport is issued on or after October
26, 2004, and is either not machine-readable or not biometrically
enabled, the bearer will need to obtain a visa to travel to the
United States.
What is a machine-readable passport?
Machine-readable passports have two optical character, typeface
lines at the bottom of the biographic page of the passport (underneath
the picture). These two lines, when read by machine, reflect the
same information, including the name, date and place of birth of
the traveler, as the photo page of the passport.
What is a biometric passport?
Biometric technology uses fixed human traits, such as facial features,
finger and iris scans, to verify the identity of an individual.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) selected facial
recognition as the globally interoperable biometric for identity
verification in passports. A biometric passport valid for VWP travel
adheres to the ICAO standard for this data, stored in a contact-less
computer chip embedded in the passport, to confirm the passport
holder's identity and facilitate international travel.
The Visa Waiver Program enables citizens of participating countries
to travel to the United States for tourism or business for 90 days
or less without obtaining U.S. visa.
Currently there are twenty seven participating countries in the
Visa Waiver Program: Andorra, Austria, Australia, 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, the United Kingdom.
To enter the U.S. on the Visa Waiver Program, travelers from participating
countries must:
- Have a valid passport issued by the participating country and
be a citizen, not merely a resident, of that country. Visa waiver
travelers from Andorra, Belgium, Brunei, Liechtenstein and Slovenia
must present a machine-readable passport; until October 26, 2004,
all other participating nationalities need not possess a machine-readable
passport. As of October 26, 2004, all passports must be machine-readable
if issued before October 26, 2004, and has a biometric indicator
if issued on or after October 26, 2004.
- Be seeking entry for 90 days or less as a temporary visitor.
- Have a round-trip transportation ticket issued on a carrier
that has signed an agreement with the U.S. government to participate
in the Visa Waiver Program, and arrive in the United States aboard
such a carrier.
- Have proof of financial solvency and hold a completed and signed
visa waiver arrival/departure form I-94W on which the traveler
has waived the right to a hearing of exclusion or deportation.
These forms are available from participating carriers, from travel
agents and at land-border ports-of-entry. Travelers should consult
carriers to verify which ones are participating before making
travel arrangements.
Entry at a land border crossing point from Canada or Mexico is
permitted under the Visa Waiver Program. Travelers who apply for
entry at a land border crossing point are not required to present
round-trip transportation ticket or arrive at the border entry point
aboard a carrier who has signed an agreement with the U.S. to participate
in the Visa Waiver Program. All other Visa Waiver Program requirements
apply to such travelers.
Visitors applying for entry under this program are allowed to
remain 90 days. No extensions of stay can be granted and Visa Waiver
Program travelers cannot change their status and cannot work or
study.
Certain travelers still need to apply for a visa, such as those
who plan to work or study in the U.S., stay more than 90 days, or
who might otherwise be ineligible for a visa. Travelers previously
denied visas, or who have criminal records, or who believe they
may be ineligible to enter the U.S. on the VWP, should contact the
nearest U.S. embassy or consulate before attempting to travel.
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Visa
Waiver Program