Are ongoing US VISA's valid after October 2004?

[Nostromo]

My in-laws have lived in the UK since 1992 even though they still have Indian passports. They have been gived permanent residence in the UK. In May 2001 we decided to take them to the US for their first time and applied for Visas. Probably because of their 70+ ages, they were both given 10 year multiple entry Visas (with upto 90 days for 1 visit), which are therefore valid upto July 2011. Can they still use the same Visas in the foreseeable future to visit the US or will there be any restrictions on them with the new regs?

[tezz7628]

just checking really :)

took my aunt down to london lasy year
she was given a visa for ten years

i thought they were all valid for 10 years
was also told the max you could stay with a visa was 6 months

i would have thought the passport is the problem, if you get what i mean rather than the visa

i'm watching with interest :)

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by tezz7628

i would have thought the passport is the problem, if you get what i mean rather than the visa
[/quote]

As I understand it, the passport would be the issue for Visa-Waivers like the UK citizens. But Indian passport holders would have required visas anyway even under the old rules. Since my in-laws' US Visas are supposedly valid till 2011, (the passports themselves are valid till 2016) I am guessing (and hoping) that they will not have a problem under the new rules. If someone knows otherwise, please let me know.

[steph_goodrum]

Nostromo
I'm assuming when you say new rules you mean the biometric passport issue. This has been deferred for a year now (they couldnt get Congress to agree a 2 year delay), but would not have affected your inlaws anyway if their passports are valid till 2006.
It is only those wishing to use the visa waiver who have a passport issued AFTER Oct 26th 2004 (now 2005) who would be required to get a visa if they are still unable to get a passport with biometric info on it.

[esprit]

Anyone with a visa in their passport is having the biometric information currently taken as they arrive back in the US. They are photographing us and taking fingerprints and entering them on a data base. My husband has been out twice in the last few months and his were taken on re-entry the first time and the second time they took them again and checked they matched, So the biometric data checking has been postponed for visa waiver people but started alrady for visa holders though it is entered on US database not a passport. By the way, we held up a whole queue of visa waiver people who were looking at us like we were criminals as they didnt know what was going on ( why are they fingerptinting those people?) The whole thing is a bit stupid as a terrorist is more likely to be coming in on visa waiver than get a visa first!! And those were the people who walked straight through.

[steph_goodrum]

Thats what I can never understand Julie, when you have a vias they have at least had some contact with you when you applied and have had a chance to check out your background but when you arrive on a visa waiver they may only have 9 hours notice of your arrival (if passenger lists are forwarded on take off) yet the security doesnt seem as strict.