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from Travel Industry Association of America
Deadlines are rapidly approaching for several new requirements for travel
to the United States. Following is a brief explanation of these upcoming changes
with links to official U.S. government sites for more detailed information. The
SeeAmerica Travel Planner Alert is intended to supplement official U.S. government
outreach efforts to the benefit of travelers, the industry and those responsible
within government for implementing the changes. Please feel free to share this
information.
US-VISIT Enrollment for
Visa Waiver Travelers
Deadline: September 30, 2004
This regulation applies to travelers from all Visa Waiver Program countries.
Beginning September 30 travelers from all 27 Visa
Waiver Program countries will be required to enroll in the US-VISIT program
and have their index fingerprints digitally scanned and their photograph taken
upon entering the U.S. US-VISIT is an Entry-Exit system designed to enhance
control of U.S. borders and more effectively enforce U.S. immigration law.
This system is intended to better protect the United States, its citizens and
all international visitors who are within the United States.
The
twenty-seven Visa Waiver countries are Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal,
San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United
Kingdom.
Question: Will the new US-VISIT
policy for Visa Waiver countries make clearing U.S. inspections upon arrival
lengthier?
Answer: US-VISIT “entry”
procedures have been in place at all U.S. airports and seaports for non-Visa
Waiver program country visitors since January 5, 2004. According to U.S.
government sources, this process has added, on average, only 10 - 15 seconds
to the usual screening process. According to U.S. Customs and Border Control
statistics, there have been no major delays as a result of this program. Click
below for wait times at airport primary inspection:
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/leavingarrivinginUS/airport_wait_times.ctt/airport_wait_times.xls
Question
: Initially US-VISIT will only be upon entry into the U.S. When will the
“exit” portion of the program be completed?
Answer : Technology for the exit portion of US-VISIT is
currently being tested at a number of U.S. airports and seaports. Full implementation
of the exit portion is probably at least another year away. Click here for more
information concerning where the biometric “exit” process is being
tested:
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0476.xml>
Question: Does U.S. VISIT apply to all
visitors, regardless of age or gender?
Answer
: No. The US-VISIT enrollment does not apply to children under the age of 14,
or adults over the age of 79.
Question
: Is there any special documentation or anything else I must do prior to
departing my country for the U.S. to prepare for US-VISIT?
Answer : No. Visa Waiver Program travelers are enrolled, or entered,
in the US-VISIT system upon entry into the United States.
Question : Is the finger scanning process with ink?
Answer : No, it is a digital scanning process of both
index fingers so there is no ink and no mess.
Question: Is the United States the only country planning to implement
this system?
Answer: No, a number of
other countries are currently testing various forms of biometric technology
with plans toward implementation in the future. They are considering
implementation for the same reason as the U.S. - to enhance their security and
enforce their own immigration laws.
For more
information on US-VISIT from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, click
on
http://www/dhs.gov/us-visit
Machine-Readable Passports
Deadline: October
26, 2004
This regulation applies to travelers from all Visa
Waiver Program countries.
All Visa Waiver
Program travelers entering the United States must possess a machine-readable
(or scannable) passport starting October 26, 2004. The original deadline was
October 26, 2003 but it was extended by the U.S. government for 21 of the 27
Visa Waiver Program countries. Six of the Visa Waiver Program countries have
already had to comply with this requirement (Andorra, Belgium, Brunei,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Slovenia).
Question : What if my current passport is not machine-readable?
Answer : Many countries issue passports that are
valid for up to ten years. Several countries began issuing machine-readable
passports only a few years ago, so if you hold a valid passport that is not
machine-readable, it will be necessary for you to get a new machine-readable
passport prior to your visit to the United States. Your other option is to
obtain a U.S. visa to accompany your non-machine-readable passport.
Question : Where do I get a machine-readable passport?
Answer : Passports are issued by each
country under different rules and procedures. Check with your government to
see what the requirements are for issuance.
Question: I understand several countries will still
have some difficulty ensuring that all of their passports currently in circulation
will be machine-readable by the October 26, 2004 deadline. Will there be another
extension of the deadline?
Answer:
No, there will not be any further extension of this deadline granted by the
U.S. government.
For more information on
Machine-Readable Passports from the U.S. Department of State, click on
http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_waiver.html>
Biometric Passports for Visa Waiver Countries
Deadline: October 26, 2005
This regulation applies to all
Visa Waiver Program countries.
All Visa
Waiver Program countries will be required to begin issuing passports with
biometric identifiers by October 26, 2005. A biometric identifier is an
electronic scan of a physical feature, such as an eye, hand, fingerprint, or
face. It allows an immigration inspector to know for certain that the person
appearing before them is the same person to whom a passport (or visa) was
issued. The initial deadline for beginning to issue biometric passports was
extended by one year to October 26, 2005.
Question: Will I be required to have a biometric passport after
October 26, 2005 in order to enter the United States?
Answer : Not if you have a valid, machine-readable passport
that was issued prior to October 26, 2005. The new regulation applies only to
new passports issued after October 26, 2005.
Question: Will all Visa Waiver Program countries be able
to issue biometric passports by the October 26, 2005 deadline?
Answer: The U.S. travel industry is greatly concerned
that the October 26, 2005 deadline for biometric passports is still not achievable
for all countries. The industry will continue to work with the U.S. Congress
to try and obtain a further extension of the deadline if that is absolutely
necessary. It is by no means certain however that Congress will vote for an
extension so countries issuing passports and the worldwide travel industry
should operate on the assumption that the October 26, 2005 deadline will not
change.
For more information on Biometric
Passports from the U.S. Department of State, click on
http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/biometrics.html
Important Information Contacts
U.S.
Department of Homeland Security
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/
U.S.
Department of State
http://www.travel.state.gov/ or
www.state.gov
<http://www.state.gov/
Travel
Industry Association of America
http://www.tia.org/GovAffairs/
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