New passport requirements for International travelers coming to the United States have recently been announced by the Department of Homeland Security.
A summary of the new requirements for passports issued by Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries 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 machine-readable 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
view the guide.
