U.S. IMMIGRATION NEW S UPDATE
Machine-Readable Passport Requirements and the Visa Waiver Program
MACHINE-READABLE PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS: U.S. Department of Homeland Security has recently published a timeline on when countries and visitors must be compliant with machine-readable passport requirements to be eligible for admission to the U.S. without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program. The guideline is attached to this e-mail correspondence.
VISA WAIVER PROGRAM: The Visa Waiver Program allows individuals from certain countries to enter the U.S. as a visitor for business (WB) or visitor for tourism (WT) for a period not in excess of 90 days with a nonrefundable ticket. To be eligible for the program if arriving by air or sea, the applicant will need to: (1) present a machine-readable passport from the designated country; (2) be in possession of a round trip ticket unless waived [ticket must be non-transferable and valid for a period of not less than one year and must transport the person to a destination that is not an adjacent island or contiguous territory]; and (3) need to arrive on a carrier (including private jets) that has an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security even if it is not the carrier that issued the ticket. An applicant arriving by land, in addition to providing a machine-readable passport and desiring to come solely as a visitor for a period not in excess of 90 days, must provide evidence of financial solvency and a domicile abroad to which s/he intends to return. At present, individuals who are citizens of the following countries may take advantage of the Visa Waiver Program: 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 the U.K. (for citizens with the unrestricted right of permanent abode in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man). It does not apply to British overseas citizens, British dependent territories’ citizens, or citizens of British Commonwealth countries.