Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

...was issued in 2004 and therefore with no biometric chip?

I'm going to be in Niagara (Canadian side) in June and I'd love to go across to upstate NY as I've never been to the USA before. But my passport was issued before they went biometric. Do you have to have a biometric-style passport to enter the US or can you use a non-biometric one if it was issued before the biometric chip was introduced?

Thanks.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/temp_1305.html should tell you what you need to know.

There is similar information from travel agents, wikipedia etc, but the US Dept of State should be the horse's mouth!

A few years ago, in exactly the same situation, we actually had to pay to get into the US from Canadian Niagara. Cheek Only about $10, but even so....

I believe you should be OK but you may need to fill in numerous forms at the border...

You will be fine, I have been through twice this year already on a Green Visa Waiver form with a 2001 passport, and I haven't been stopped before although I go to the US at least 4 times a year on business.

Thanks for the answers

Just saw this topic.

You'll be fine with a 2004 passport so long as it's machine-readable. The vast majority of British passports are.

As Jo pointed out, there's a small fee ($6, last time I looked) for using the Visa Waiver Program at a land border. It's payable in American currency. I believe you can use a credit card, but double check if you're planning to rely on that.

You can check on any delays at the border at http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/general/times/menu-e.html, or just listen to traffic reports. You'll need to stop at the border so the Americans can process your visa waiver and take your $6. That can take anything from ten minutes to a couple of hours.