Passport requirements for USA

[essexbiker]

We are going over to Orlando for a long weekend in May. We are taking our mothers but my mother's passport runs out in August 07, so she'll o nly have 3 months left on her passport. Does she need 6 months? Cheers

[Buenchico]

In general, anyone entering the USA under the Visa Waiver Program does not require 6 months validity on their passport but anyone who is required to obtain a visa (e.g. because they've been arrested or convicted of a criminal offence) must have 6 months validity on their passport before a visa will be issued.

However, there seems to be a specific problem which doesn't affect most travellers but will affect your mother: Entry under the Visa Waiver Program is only available to people who hold a machine-readable passport. Such passports were introduced by the UK Passport Agency in 1998. Since your mother's passport was (presumably) issued in August 1997, it won't be machine readable, so she can't use the Visa Waiver Program with it. Neither can she obtain a visa because there's insufficient validity on her passport. So, your mother must obtain a new passport.

References:
http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/visa/niv/ vwp.html
and
http://www.passport.gov.uk/news/news.asp?intEl ement=1009

Chris

[Buenchico]

Oops!
Slight correction:

I've just checked this page:
http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/visa/niv/ apply.html
and seen that the 6-month validity period, for visa applications, does not apply to UK passports. So it would be possible for your mother to obtain a visa. However, that would require your mother attending an interview in London and paying fees for both the visa and for the return, by courier, of her passport. Since those fees add up to approximately the same amount as the cost of obtaining a new passport, it would seem to make far more sense to get a new, machine-readable passport (and then enter the USA under the Visa Waiver Program)

Chris

[sddsddean]

Assuming your Mum is still recognisable from her old passport, you can order a new one online here https://www.passport.gov.uk/Epa1d/index.aspx?c=1
I've used this service for several family members and its very efficient. Usually get the new passport within 10 days.

[sddsddean]

That link doesn't want to work. Go to
http://www.passport.gov.uk/
andd click on 'Visit the UK passort site'

[dzug]

Britain has in fact been issuing machine readable passports since 1991, so your mother should be OK unless her passport was issued somewhere odd (like an overseas Embassy, the last of which didn't go machine readable until 2003)

[SteveD]

Go here:

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/niv/ vwp.html

and scroll down to the "Visa Waiver Wizard" link then go through the wizard.

[SteveD]

Sorry, Buenchico, I see now that you already posted a link to that page.

[Maggoty]

Hi there. I posted this question at home using my bf's monika, I am now at work hence the name change. My mother has a red passport, picture in the back etc. Am I right in assuming (from the posts above) that she is OK to travel on her passport to the US, bearing in mind her passport does not run out until August 07. Thank you