View Full Version : UK Passport due to expire
Hi, My husbands UK pasport will expire 7 days after departure from the USA. He has a US Visa that is valid for another 9 years attached to his UK passport. I had a look on the US Embassy website and it said that there is an agreement between the UK and the US that they will allow travel with the unexpired visa and the due to expire UK passport with less than 6 months to run on it. I rang the Embassy to confirm that this was the case and they confirmed it. But, my husband is still worried that there may be a problem on arrival, because he wonders if there is something in writing he can take to show immigration. I have printed off the statement from the US Embassy website to take with us.
If he just had a UK passport, he would definitely have to renew it before we travelled, as it still stands you have to have more than I think it is 6 months left on your UK passport to be allowed to enter the US. Has anyone else been in the same situation with a due to expire UK passport and and valid US Visa attached to it.
We will be going to the US in three weeks. If he sent his old passport off to be renewed with the valid visa in it, he was told he must put a letter with it telling them not to cancel the visa contained in the UK passport, when they cancell the due to expire UK passport. My husband is worried that if he sent off for a new UK passport, the valid visa may get cancelled by mistake.
CERICROWLEY
30-11-2007, 19:06
As there is a very short time before you travel, and he will have to renew it when he comes back anyway. I would make an appointment with your local passport office and renew it now before you travel. This way it will take all this undue worry out of it.
CCollins
30-11-2007, 19:18
If your husband gets a new passport before he travels - the visa in his old passport will still be valid - but he will have to take both passports with him.
I would get a new passport just to put your mind at rest!
He is worried that he has left it late in the day to get one now. Doesn't want to post it off so near to us flying. His UK passport will still be valid for a week after we arrive back. When I spoke on the phone with the American Embassy, she assured me that the statement on the website was true and that it had been agreed with the UK to allow travel to the US with less than 6 months left on a valid UK passport in cases where the person has a valid unexpired visa.
I think I will suggest he travels down to the nearest passport office, I am not sure where it is, so will have to find out.
Just spoken the the UK passport office on the telephone and she confirmed that it was true about the agreement with the US. She said that my husband can travel to and back from the US with less than 6 months left on his passport as long as the UK passport has not expired, but only because he has a Visa. The US would want at least 6 months left if he was just travelling on the UK passport and without a Visa.
I don't think you've been given the right information there, however I'm going from memory so don't take this as gospel ... but ... my understanding of the rules were that if you travel on the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) you will be granted up to 90 days when you are admitted to the US. If your passport has less than 90 days before it expires the immigration officer will change the number of days you are allowed to remain to match with the expiry date of your passport.
We travelled in September to the US with just 2 months left on our passports - no problem whatsoever. We have no visa. It is not true that you must have at least 6 months left if you travel on a visa waiver. Blott will, I am sure confirm this as it was a question we raised before our trip in September.
However, I would certainly think it sensible to renew the passports ASAP - I believe you can fast track them for an extra charge.
We sent off our passports a week ago last Tuesday and they were returned by post on Wednesday of this week - 8 days. We paid for the Post Office to check them. They are very much fussier over passport photos now and they have to be within certain parameters. I was told that you could not wear spectacles but we used a proper photographic studio who do passport photos all the time and they ensured that there was no reflection. They also had a little gadget to check whether the photo would be acceptable. Do make sure your photos are acceptable as this would delay the process.
ShirleyD
30-11-2007, 21:48
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Snapper
I don't think you've been given the right information there, however I'm going from memory so don't take this as gospel ... but ... my understanding of the rules were that if you travel on the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) you will be granted up to 90 days when you are admitted to the US. If your passport has less than 90 days before it expires the immigration officer will change the number of days you are allowed to remain to match with the expiry date of your passport.
[/quote]
Yes that is my understanding too. The old six month thing has long since gone.
Just make sure you have proof of his return ticket in case they ask to see it
dawn burley
30-11-2007, 22:43
I renewed my children's passports last week and used the Post Office check and send service. It only took 6 days for them to be returned[msnsmile] The biggest problem was getting the photos right, it took three attempts, but the photo shop was to blame there! For anyone renewing children's passports make sure you leave enough time to get them counter signed.
Regarding your situation Karen(gkjones)If you can find the relevant information on the American Embassy website regarding the 6 month rule and print it off it would give you even more peace of mind. That way if anyone were to ask any questions while you were travelling you can refer to this. My husband (who has a US visa) travelled with only a couple of months left on his passport, a couple of years ago, without any problems.
Have a great trip[msnsmile]
Dawn
Robert5988
30-11-2007, 23:53
It is normally Travel agents and some airlines that get the 6 month rule wrong(that used to be the case years ago)because they haven't updated their information; but you would think the UK Passport office would know better.
Visa or Visa waiver you can enter and stay in the USA right up until the day before the passport expires. It is all on the US emabassy website.
ncmurray
01-12-2007, 12:49
Robert is right, there. It is usually the travel agents and airlines that will say that you need 6 months on your passport, and it is they that are creating the confusion.
You definitely don't need 6 months on your passport. It just needs to be valid for the dates of travel. We went to the US in May with only a couple of days left on our passports when we returned, and we weren't questioned once. The only comment made was to remind us to renew our passports as they were due to expire. We don't have visas, either.
I hope this helps.
Nuala
Michelle
01-12-2007, 20:52
We made an appointment to go to passport office, as our passports were due for renewal. . You fill in the renwal passport form take it up with you with relevant photos, they then ask you come back in about 3 hours to collect both passports. They do not touch USA visa page in your old passport,as we have USA visa in our old passport just means when ever you travel to USA you take both passports with you. Mind you it does cost you more for the renwal. But if you have a 6 months stay visitors visa, then you do need to have at least 6 months left on your passport.
His Visa in his due to expire UK passport is valid for another 14 years. The UK passport expires 7 days after we arrive back from the US. I suppose we should fast track for a renewal just for peace of mind. Thanks for all your advice!
Robert5988
02-12-2007, 15:09
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:But if you have a 6 months stay visitors visa, then you do need to have at least 6 months left on your passport.[/quote]That is incorrect I believe; or perhaps you can point to the regulation that supports that statement.
The regulations really are clearly laid down in the US Embassy website; and that is that you can enter and stay in the USA up to the date your passport expires; it doesn't differentiate between visa and visa waiver.
Everyone who enters on a visa waiver has a potential 90 days 'permission' to stay in the USA, in the same way as a B2 visitors visa gives you a potential 6 months 'permission'.
So if you enter for a week using your visa or visa waiver and have 8 days left on your passport you are OK. You will only be granted 'permission' to stay until you passport expires.
Obviously if you intend to stay in the USA for the 6 months that your visa allows, then your passport must have 6months left.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by gkjones
His Visa in his due to expire UK passport is valid for another 14 years. The UK passport expires 7 days after we arrive back from the US. I suppose we should fast track for a renewal just for peace of mind. Thanks for all your advice!
[/quote]
Hope you manage to get your passports sorted, and that all goes well. Have a great holiday, and I am sure you will have no problems whatever you decide do to. :)
ujpest doza
04-12-2007, 19:35
It isn't Travel Agents and Airlines who "get it wrong" as such.
Some airlines will not carry you if you have less than 6 months validity on your passport so you must check with the airline as if they refuse to carry you in the first place whatever US Immigration tells you will be irrelavent.
The reason Airlines are picky about this is that they are responsible for the documents of their passengers being in order once they have boarded and took off and they suffer hefty fines if their any irregularities so cover their backs in this way.
florida4sun
04-12-2007, 20:38
Yep but they still get it wrong, they did with us. After a blazing row (I was spitting nails), and a call to the emabassey we were let on our way. Folow the rules is one thing but making up thier own is wrong.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by ujpest doza
It isn't Travel Agents and Airlines who "get it wrong" as such.
Some airlines will not carry you if you have less than 6 months validity on your passport so you must check with the airline as if they refuse to carry you in the first place whatever US Immigration tells you will be irrelavent.
The reason Airlines are picky about this is that they are responsible for the documents of their passengers being in order once they have boarded and took off and they suffer hefty fines if their any irregularities so cover their backs in this way.
[/quote]
ujpest doza
04-12-2007, 20:47
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by florida4sun
Yep but they still get it wrong, they did with us. After a blazing row (I was spitting nails), and a call to the emabassey we were let on our way. Folow the rules is one thing but making up thier own is wrong.
[/quote]
They don't have to carry you even if you have 5 years left on your passport though.
They can make as many rules as they want as its their aircraft you're flying on.
I had to get a new passport as i would only have had 5 months left on mine and Monarch are adamant they won't carry you with less than 6 months on your passport. It wasn't really an issue as you get up to 9 months on top of the 10 years on your passport if you have that time remaining.
Robert5988
04-12-2007, 22:46
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:The reason Airlines are picky about this is that they are responsible for the documents of their passengers being in order once they have boarded and took off and they suffer hefty fines if their any irregularities so cover their backs in this way[/quote]
But the point is that they are 'in order' if the passport is valid for the length of your stay as it then conforms with UK and USA regulations.
Why are Monarch any different to any other airline?
The most plausible reason is that they simply haven't removed that 6 month stipulation from their 'terms and conditions' and nobody can be bothered to find out if that condition is still valid.
IIRC Virgin made the same foul up and kept the 6 month stipulation in their terms and conditions long after the regulations changed - but eventually got round to changing them.
I expect Monarch will get round to changing them in a year or two!
Incidentally airlines registered with the IATA simply do not have Carte Blanche to make up "as many rules as they want".
ujpest doza
05-12-2007, 14:44
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:
Incidentally airlines registered with the IATA simply do not have Carte Blanche to make up "as many rules as they want".
[/quote]
Not exactly no, but they can ban anyone they want from flying with them if they so wish.