Usa Visa Waiver Scheme

[lopburi]

I read in the London Guardian newspaper some months ago that holders of British Passports issued outside the UK are ineligible to participate in the USA Visa Waiver Scheme. I have however not been able to confirm this from either the London USA website or the US State department site. If true, this must affect those Brits who have renewed their UK passports in Bangkok if they wish to visit the USA under the visa waiver programme.

Does anyone actually know whether the Guardian report was factual and has anyone used this scheme recently on a UK passport issued in Bangkok?

[cdnvic]

I read in the London Guardian newspaper some months ago that holders of British Passports issued outside the UK are ineligible to participate in the USA Visa Waiver Scheme. I have however not been able to confirm this from either the London USA website or the US State department site.  If true, this must affect those Brits who have renewed their UK passports in Bangkok if they wish to visit the USA under the visa waiver programme.

Does anyone actually know whether the Guardian report was factual and has anyone used this scheme recently on a UK passport issued in Bangkok?

We had a similar problem with them wanting to fingerprint Canadians who were born outside the country, or had passports issued outside the country, but they backed down.

Have you called the British consul office in your area?

cv

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I read in the London Guardian newspaper some months ago that holders of British Passports issued outside the UK are ineligible to participate in the USA Visa Waiver Scheme. I have however not been able to confirm this from either the London USA website or the US State department site.  If true, this must affect those Brits who have renewed their UK passports in Bangkok if they wish to visit the USA under the visa waiver programme.

Does anyone actually know whether the Guardian report was factual and has anyone used this scheme recently on a UK passport issued in Bangkok?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We had a similar problem with them wanting to fingerprint Canadians who were born outside the country, or had passports issued outside the country, but they backed down.

Have you called the British consul office in your area?

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Consul is the way to go, but I believe that the article is accurate.

[thaihome]

The Consul is the way to go, but I believe that the article is accurate.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The article is not accurate. The only requirment is the passport must be machine readable. I believe that all passports issued at British Missions overseas are now machine-readable. Older passport may not be.

Visa-Free Travel to the USA for British Visitors "

"To help you carry out this check, a British passport is machine readable when there are two lines of letters, numbers and chevrons (“>>>>>”) printed across the long edge of the personal information page (the page with photograph and personal details). The machine-readable text will appear on a white strip on older passports and directly on the pink page of newer passports. If there are no such lines of text on the personal information page, the passport is not machine-readable."

TH

[grahamb]

I've visited the US multiple times with a machine readable passport that was issued by the British Consulate in Hong Kong. I filled in the visa waiver form each time.

There was a lot of confusion about the whole visa waiver scheme so I think the article got caught up in the confusion. As everyone else said though, the Embassy or Consulate should be able to confirm this.

[lopburi]

Many thanks guys. I will check it out with the embassy in bangkok and post the answer assuming i get one.

Lopburi

[Crazy Dave]

heres a good question, i have an indefinite multi entry for the states, this was issued 26 years ago and the last time i went was 15 years ago, would this still be valid even though the passport isnt??i am a uk passport holder..

[dr_Pat_Pong]

heres a good question, i have an indefinite multi entry for the states, this was issued 26 years ago and the last time i went was 15 years ago, would this still be valid even though the passport isnt??i am a uk passport holder..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Alas, the visa died when the passport did.

[bkk_mike]

Possibly the issue came up as, to be honest, you're only likely to have a non-machine readable UK passport that's still valid if it was issued abroad. (i.e. my daughter's one - issued in Bangkok 2 years ago)

Just be thankful they've delayed the requirement for biometric data. - when that comes in, you'll need a brand new passport to continue to use the Visa Waiver program as current passports don't have it yet. (i.e. It might be easier to go along to the US embassy to get a visa, than to get a biometric passport issued abroad. - It should be a rubber-stamping job for a british passport, and they'll take your fingerprint when you get the visa).

[Crazy Dave]

jees i feel as old as pat pong

And it is Christmas too.

Edited December 24, 2004 by dr_Pat_Pong

[Rinrada]

Mates wife who is Phillipino travelled to US about 4 years ago on her newly issued Phillipino passport but used US visa in previous (expired)one and although double checked at Gatwick no real problem.

She now has UK. P.P. (issued UK) so now no hassle....not a nanny...

Incid.when they go to Manila (she uses Phil. PP-of course) he gets a one year visa on arrival (married to local) Also believe that the land he bought was /is in his own name (la Onion)

[lopburi]

i dont think the information given by bkk mike is correct. my reading of various websites is that for holders of machine readable passports issued after 26 october 2005, to use the usa visa waiver programme the passports must be of the biometric type. thus if your passport was issued before that date. which it must have been, the biometric requirement will not apply. since such passports dont currently exist, the british government may have difficulty in issuing them by that date in 2005, it may request an extension to the deadline.

i posed my question to the uk passport agency which sent me back what appears to be a standard reply in that machine readable passports are a requirement for the usa visa waiver scheme, which we all know. the agency ignored or didnt understand the point i raised in my first message.

i will attempt to get final confirmation from the british embassy after the new year but it seems clear that the Guardian newspaper article was incorrect.

[the scouser]

My understanding of the situation is that from Oct 05 a Brit who wishes to qualify for the US visa waiver programme will have to have a biometric passport. The UK Passport Agency is currently user-testing the computer system (as usual it doesn't work). Any Brit who doesn't have such a passport will have to get a visa even if they have previously visited the US under the waiver programme. Initially UK embassies will not issue biometric passports.

Scouse.

[the scouser]

Here's the relevant page from the US's London embassy website.

Biometric passports required from 26/10/05

Scouse.