On April 1st, under the US Terrorist Travel Prevention Act 2015, entry requirements for visiting the USA were changed. You must now have a biometric passport to enter the country if you are travelling under the ESTA Visa Waiver programme.
What is a Biometric passport?
Biometric passports were first introduced in the UK in 2006. The passport has an electronic chip in it which takes digitally coded measurements of the holder’s features (such as the distance between their eyes, nose and mouth) from the photograph and uses it to help identify them. It’s thought that in future the software could be developed even further to include fingerprints. Biometric passports have a small symbol on the front cover to indicate that they have this technology. Passports issued between July and October 2006 are in the ‘danger zone’ because they won’t be biometric- the Passport Office won’t say how many people have passports issued from during this period, but the figure is thought to be around 3 million.
The red arrow indicates the biometric symbol on the front of a passport.
Why have the US entry requirements changed?
The new ruling came into power on April 1st as a result of security tightening measures. The measures came after the shootings in San Bernardino, California by a US-born man and his wife of Pakistani origin. 14 people were killed and 22 were injured during an attack at the Inland Regional Center. There was also an attempted bombing.
How has it affected UK travellers so far?
Families have already had their travel plans ruined since the rule came into power. One father was told at check in that his partner and two year old daughter could board the plane, but he could not. He ended up staying behind to organise an emergency passport before joining them several days later. Another couple applied for their ESTAs online, only to have them cancelled two weeks before departure. The reason for the cancellation was unknown, but it is believed it was because their passports were issued during the ‘at risk’ period in October 2006. According to the media, around 80,000 people with a non-biometric passport have plans to travel to the USA.
How were travellers warned?
The US Department of Security said that they have had a warning on their website about the changes since December, as well as a warning displayed on the ESTA Waiver application website. It said that it had also sent guidance to airlines about how to verify biometric passports.
What have travel agents said about the rules?
According to a travel industry expert, some travel agents are warning customers, but others believe that it is the responsibility of the passenger. British Airways said that they had no way of knowing if a passenger’s passport was valid for US entry without checking it themselves, but did reiterate that they send an email the week before departure warning passengers to check that they have the relevant documentation, with links to any changes from the Department of Security. However, the author of this article travelled to the USA on March 31st and received an email clearly warning of the changes from Virgin Atlantic:
Regulating travel body ABTA said that it had warned all of its members in January about the changes, so any issues were more likely to affect travellers who had booked their trip independently.
What can I do if I don’t have a biometric passport?
If you don’t yet have a biometric passport, you will have to apply for a Visa at the US embassy in London- you will most likely have to undergo a face to face interview. An easier option would be to renew your passport. Passport applications usually take about three weeks to process, but you can get one the same day if you make an appointment at a local office and pay a premium fee of around £128. There are local offices in the following areas:
- Liverpool
- London
- Belfast
- Durham
- Glasgow
- Peterborough
- Newport
What will happen to Americans travelling to the UK?
The EU is unhappy with the rule change and is threatening to impose the same restrictions on US citizens visiting Europe, including the UK. At the moment, five EU member states are not allowed to use the ESTA Visa waiver programme: Cyprus, Bulgaria, Poland, Croatia and Romania. A decision on restrictions for US citizens is expected in July. Of course, with the upcoming EU referendum there is uncertainty over whether the UK will still be a member of the EU at that time.
