CLARIFICATION OF NEW PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS

The welcome mat to America remains out for international travelers to the United States following the Department of Homeland Security’s recent announcement regarding new requirements for passports issued by Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries. A summary of the new requirements is as follows:

• As of October 26 of this year, all countries must issue passports with digital photos or the required chip (e-passport) containing biometric information about the individual.
  
  
• However, anyone issued a machine-readable passport prior to October 26, 2005, will be “grandfathered in” and allowed to visit the U.S until the passport expires.
  
  
• All VWP countries must issue passports with the required biometric identifier on a chip (e-passport) by October 26, 2006.

The Department of Homeland Security also reiterated that beginning on June 26, 2005 all VWP visitors entering the U.S. must possess a machinereadable passport (MRP). The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a guide to passport requirements for inbound Visa Waiver travelers to the U.S.

Click here to download the Visa Waiver Program PDF