Nieuwe regels voor reizigers naar de VS

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What is US-VISIT?

US-VISIT is part of a continuum of security measures that begins overseas, when a person applies for a visa to travel to the United States, and continues on through entry and exit at U.S. air and seaports and, eventually, at land border crossings. The US-VISIT program enhances the security of U.S. citizens and visitors by verifying the identity of visitors with visas. At the same time, it facilitates legitimate travel and trade by leveraging technology and the evolving use of biometrics to expedite processing at our borders.

US-VISIT is helping us demonstrate that we remain a welcoming nation and that we can keep America's doors open and our nation secure.

Goals of the program are to:

Enhance the security of our citizens and visitors

Facilitate legitimate travel and trade

Ensure the integrity of our immigration system

Protect the privacy of our visitors

Who will be required to enroll in US-VISIT?

At this time, US-VISIT requires that most foreign visitors traveling to the U.S. on a visa have their two index fingers scanned and a digital photograph (PDF) taken to verify their identity at the port of entry. Visas are required for most students, business travelers (depending on their length of stay) and millions of other visitors, regardless of where they live. Currently, US-VISIT will not enroll visitors seeking admission under the Visa Waiver Program. However, by September 30, 2004, US-VISIT procedures will be expanded to include visitors traveling under the Visa Waiver Program arriving at air and sea ports of entry. It does not apply to U.S. citizens.

Exceptions:

As published in the January 5, 2004 Federal Register (PDF), there are, at this time, limited exceptions to the current enrollment that include:

Visitors admitted on an A-1, A-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, or NATO-6 visa
Children under the age of 14
Persons over the age of 79
Classes of visitors the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security jointly determine shall be exempt
An individual visitor the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Director of Central Intelligence jointly determine shall be exempt

US-VISIT is an important first step in a multi-layered approach to better border security, and we will continue to explore ways to improve the program to ensure we are building the best border security system possible.

How does US-VISIT work?

US-VISIT begins overseas, at the U.S. consular offices issuing visas, where visitors' biometrics (digital fingerscans and photographs PDF) will be collected and checked against a database of known criminals and suspected terrorists. When the visitor arrives at the port of entry, we use the same biometrics -- these digital "fingerscans" -- to verify that the person at our port is the same person who received the visa. This type of identity verification helps our U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers make better admissibility decisions and ensures the overall integrity of our immigration system.

What can I expect when I arrive in the U.S.?

Once at the port of entry (PDF), you will find that many of the procedures remain unchanged and are familiar to you. For example, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer still reviews your travel documents, such as a visa and passport. The officer still asks you questions about your stay in the U.S.

What's new under US-VISIT is that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer now uses the inkless, digital "fingerscanner" to capture two of your "fingerscans (PDF)." You first place your left index finger and then your right index finger on the scanner. The officer also takes your digital photograph. These procedures add only seconds to the overall processing time.

The biographic and biometric data are used to verify your identity against the data captured by the State Department at the time the visa was issued to ensure that you are the same person who received the visa. In addition, your digital picture that was taken at the visa-issuing point is displayed to the CBP officer for visual comparison and confirmation.

Using all these tools, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer will then either admit you or conduct additional inquiries based on the verification results. These procedures reduce fraud, identity theft, and the risk that terrorists and criminals will enter the U.S. undetected.

You may see a video of the entry and exit process in English or other languages.

What do I need to do before I exit the U.S.?

A departure confirmation program using automated kiosks is being tested at Baltimore-Washington International Airport and at selected Miami Seaport cruise line terminals. Currently, if you leave from either of these ports, you are required to confirm your departure at the kiosk. You will check out at kiosks by scanning your visa or passport and repeating the simple inkless fingerscanning process (PDF) . An attendant will be available if you need help. The exit confirmation will be added to your travel records to demonstrate compliance with the terms of your admission.

US-VISIT officials will evaluate the automated kiosks tests and consider alternatives for departure confirmation throughout 2004.

When did it go into effect and is it working?

On January 5, 2004, US-VISIT entry procedures were operational at 115 airports and 14 seaports (PDF), and we began pilot testing biometric exit procedures at one airport and one seaport. This year, US-VISIT will be expanded to the 50 busiest land ports of entry . For updates on US-VISIT click here

How can I be assured that my privacy will be protected?

All data obtained from you is securely stored as part of your travel record. This information is made available only to authorized officials and selected law enforcement agencies responsible for ensuring the safety and security of U.S. citizens and foreign visitors. US-VISIT has developed a privacy policy (PDF, 5 pages - 150 KB), a Privacy Impact Assessment (PDF, 34 pages - 273 KB), and a way for visitors to have their records reviewed for the purpose of amending or correcting them based on questions concerning accuracy, relevancy, timeliness, or completeness.

If you have any questions or concerns you can contact the privacy officer at USVISITprivacy@dhs.gov.

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Visa Waiver Program
Important Notices:

Machine-readable passports (MRP) - The Secretary of State has granted a postponement until October 26, 2004, as the deadline whereby visa waiver program travelers from 21 VWP countries must present a machine-readable passport (MRP) at the U.S. port of entry to enter the U.S. without a visa, otherwise a U.S visa is required. Starting October 26, 2004, visa waiver travelers from ALL 27 Visa Waiver Program countries must present either a machine-readable passport or a U.S. visa. To learn more, read What I Need to Know About the VWP and the Required Machine-Readable Passport below. You can read the postponement announcement.

Biometric Passports - President Bush signed into law, a legislative bill which extends by one year the requirement for Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to include biometrics in passports. The Department of Homeland Security will begin enrolling Visa Waiver Program travelers through the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program at all airports and seaports on or about September 30, 2004. To read more, select News Release and Fact Sheet. Also review Does the Biometric Passport Extension Request Change the 10/26/04 MRP Requirement?

Overview

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables citizens of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. Not all countries participate in the VWP. Some restrictions apply to this program as explained below and in the section, "What Do I Need to Enter the United States under the VWP?".

NOTE: Representatives of the foreign press, radio, film, journalists or other information media, engaging in that vocation while in the U.S., require a nonimmigrant Media (I) visa cannot travel to the U.S. on the visa waiver program and cannot travel using a visitor visa, seeking admission by the DHS immigration inspector, at the U.S. at the port of entry.


What Are the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Countries?

Currently, 27 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program, as shown below:


Visa Waiver Program - Participating Countries

Andorra (MRP) Iceland Norway
Australia Ireland Portugal
Austria Italy San Marino
Belgium (MRP) Japan Singapore
Brunei (MRP) Liechtenstein (MRP) Slovenia (MRP)
Denmark Luxembourg Spain
Finland Monaco Sweden
France the Netherlands Switzerland
Germany New Zealand United Kingdom

Note: Countries in bold above with the (MRP) designation are required to have machine-readable passports (MRP) as of October 1, 2003 for travelers to enter the U.S on the visa waiver program. All other countries visa waiver program travelers above must have a MRP as of October 26, 2004 except Belgium, which has had an MRP requirement for VWP travelers since May 15, 2003.

What I Need to Know about VWP & the Required Machine Readable Passport?

The Secretary of State, working with the Department of Homeland Security, has granted a postponement until October 26, 2004, as the date by which visa waiver program travelers from 21 countries must present a machine-readable passport at a U.S. port of entry to be admitted to the United States without a visa. Four countries will continue with the October 1, 2003 deadline. The Patriot Act legislated the machine-readable passport requirement for visa waiver program travelers and additionally gave the Secretary of State authority to postpone the effective date.

Countries With an October 1, 2003 MRP Date - Four visa waiver program countries, specifically Andorra, Brunei, Liechtenstein, and Slovenia, did not request a postponement of the machine-readable passport effective date, because all or virtually all of their citizens already have machine-readable passports.

As of October 1, 2003, visa waiver travelers from Andorra, Brunei, Liechtenstein, and Slovenia must present either a machine-readable passport (MRP) or a U.S. visa at the port of entry to enter the U.S. This includes all categories of passports -- regular, diplomatic, and official, when the traveler is seeking to enter the U.S. for business or tourist purposes, for a maximum of 90 days without needing a visa.
Countries With a October 26, 2004 MRP Date - Travelers from countries granted the postponement can continue to travel, as they have in the past, without a machine-readable passport. On October 26, 2004 a machine-readable passport or U.S. visa will be required at the port of entry, to enter the U.S. without a visa. Countries with the machine-readable passport postponement until October 26, 2004 are:

Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Belgium, which is also a visa waiver country, was not eligible to receive this extension. Belgian nationals who wish to travel under the visa waiver program have been required to present a machine-readable passport since May 15, 2003.

What Is a Machine Readable Passport?

A machine readable passport has biographical data entered on the data page according to international specifications. The size of the passport and photograph, and arrangement of data fields, especially the two lines of printed OCR-B machine readable data, meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Doc 9303, Part 1 Machine Readable Passports. OCR-B means the type is Optical Character Reader size B. If there are questions about your passport, after carefully reviewing this information, and any information which may be available to you from your country, you may want to contact the passport issuing agency or authority in your country of citizenship.

Does the Biometric Passport Extension Request Change the 10/26/04 MRP Requirement?

No, not at all. In improving the national security of our nation, there are two different requirements for passports for foreign citizens traveling without a visa, on the Visa Waiver Program, to request permission by the U.S. immigration inspector, to enter the United States. The biometric passport extension, which has been requested by the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State, related to the biometric identifier requirement for the passport. The other passport change, which is the requirement for machine readable passports explained above, continues to have an October 26, 2004 mandatory start date. By having a machine readable passport, the U.S. immgration inspector's job will be facilitated, by being able to quickly slide your readable passport through the reader, thereby displaying important information more quickly. As stated earlier, starting October 26, 2004 all Visa Waiver Program travelers must present a machine readable passport to travel without a visa, on the Visa Waiver Program. After reviewing the information above, explaining machine readable passports, travelers are requested to review their passport, applying for a new passport in their country of citizenship, if needed. This will assist in ensuring you have a machine readable passport by October 26, 2004. Otherwise, starting October 26, if the passport you hold is not machine readable, you cannot travel on the Visa Waiver Program, and a visa will be required to travel to the United States. Contact the passport issuing agency or authority in your country of citizenship, if you have questions about whether your passport is machine readable.

What Should I Know About Machine-Readable Passports and Families?

Families seeking to enter the U.S. under the VWP will need to obtain an individual passport for each traveler, including infants. Machine-readable passports typically have biodata for only one traveler in the machine-readable zone. Based on this, families may be denied visa-free entry into the U.S. if the biodata for only one traveler is machine-readable.

What Do I Need to Enter the United States under the VWP?

To enter the U.S. under the VWP, travelers from participating countries must:

Be a citizen of a Visa Waiver Program country;

Have a valid passport issued by the participating countrythat is valid for six months beyond your intended visit; Have a machine-readable passport (MRP), following the required due dates for MRPs explained above;

Be seeking entry for 90 days or less, as a temporary visitor for business or pleasure. You will not be permitted to extend your visit or change to another visa category under the VWP.
Visitors for Business - Here are types of activities permitted as a business visitor:

- Participating in commercial business transactions which do not involve gainful employment in the U.S, for example, negotiating contracts or consulting with business associates You cannot receive a salary or wages from a U.S. source.
- Participating in scientific, educational, professional or business conventions, conferences or seminars;
- Conducting independent research;
- Appearing as a witness in a court trial.

Visitors for Pleasure - While this is not a complete listing, here are types of activities permitted:

- Visiting friends and relatives, touring or vacationing, visits for rest;
- Visits for medical treatment.
- Participating in conventions, conferences or convocation of fraternal or social organizations;
- Amateurs participating in sports, musical, and other events or contests, who will receive no money or other remuneration in return;


If entering by air or sea, have a round-trip transportation ticket issued on a carrier that has signed an agreement with the U.S. government to participate in the VWP, and arrive in the United States aboard such a carrier.

Hold a completed and signed Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94W, on which he/she has waived the right of review or appeal of an immigration officer’s determination about admissibility, or deportation. These forms are available from participating carriers, from travel agents, and at land-border ports-of-entry.

You must have no visa ineligibilities. This means if you have been refused a visa before, have a criminal record or are ineligible for a visa you cannot travel on the Visa Waiver Program without a visa. You must apply for a visa to the U.S.

Entry at a land border crossing point from Canada or Mexico is permitted under the Visa Waiver Program.

Entering the U.S. - Port of Entry

Detailed information about admissions and entry in the U.S., under the Visa Waiver Program can be found by selecting Admission to the U.S. to go to DHS, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection Internet site.

Is there Any Fee?

There is a small filing fee for the Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94W from airlines. Select USCIS Forms and Fees to go to the Department of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services Internet site to learn more.

When Does a Citizen of a VWP Country Need to Apply for a Visa?
You must apply for a visa under the following circumstances, if you:

want to work or study in the United States; or
have been refused a visa before; or
have a criminal record; or
are ineligible for a visa. See Classes of Aliens Ineligible for Visas.
Do Canadian Citizens Need a Visa or MRP?

Citizens of Canada generally do not require a visa. (While some people mistakenly think Canada is part of the visa waiver program, the authorization for Canadian citizens to travel visa-free comes from other immigration laws.) The machine-readable passport requirement does not apply to Canadian citizens, because they are not part of the visa waiver program. It should be noted, these Canadian citizens travelling to the US require nonimmigrant visas: treaty traders (E), and fiance/es (K-1), as well as a U.S. citizen's foreign citizen spouse, who is traveling to the U.S. to reside here while they wait for the final completion of the process of immigration (K-3), and their respective children (K-2 for children of fiancees, and K-4 for children of a foreign citizen spouse), spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-1) and the children of those spouses (V-2) traveling to the U.S. to reside here while they wait for the final completion of their immigration process. Additionally, these Canadian citizens travelling to the US require nonimmigrant visas: foreign government officials (A), officials and employees of international organizations (G), NATO officials, representatives and employees if they are being assigned to the U.S. (as opposed to an official trip). To learn more about Canadian entry select Border Countries - Canada and Mexico and select the U.S. Embassy In Ottawa, Canada. Also select Entry from Canada to go to the DHS Bureau of Immigration and Citizen Services web site.


How Does a Country Qualify for Visa Waiver?

Select Visa Waiver Program – How a Country Qualifies to learn more.

Additional Information - Department of Homeland Security

Select the Visa Waiver Program to go the Department of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) information about the Visa Waiver Program

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Op dinsdag 28 september 2004 22:12 schreef miss_sly het volgende:
klinkt best heftig allemaal, eigenlijk.
Maar per saldo komt het neer op het juiste paspoort en vingerafdrukken en foto bij aankomst, toch? dat valt op zich nog wel mee.

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nog anderhalve week!

ps maartena, ken je Anaheim Vacation Park? dat is ons aangeraden als plek om met de camper te staan als we in LA zijn.

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Op donderdag 30 september 2004 08:16 schreef miss_sly het volgende:
is Anaheim dan ook een wijk in LA?