Beginning September 30, 2004, visitors to the U.S. traveling under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) will be required to enroll in the US-VISIT program, which helps to secure U.S. borders while maintaining the privacy of visitors to the U.S. The US-VISIT program currently applies to all non-immigrant visa holders, regardless of their country of origin.

Visitors from VWP countries are not required to present a visa to enter the U.S. They may enter the U.S. with a valid passport for up to 90 days. Beginning October 26, 2004, any passport issued by a VWP country must be a machine-readable document that incorporates biometric identifiers that comply with standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The requirement that VWP visitors enroll in the US-VISIT program stems from the fact that few countries will be able to meet the October 26th deadline, due to technical difficulties. A two-year extension of the deadline is currently being sought.

Countries in the Visa Waiver Program include Andorra, Austria, Australia, 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 United Kingdom (for citizens with the unrestricted right of permanent abode in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man).

Teressa Accurso Dickman, Esq.
Law Offices of Teressa Accurso Dickman, P.A.
www.ImmigratingToAmerica.com

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