A quick Question about European Passport

[Carola 0]

Hi,

My brother who holds Italian passport is planning to come to USA in the coming days (short visit), but somebody in the travel agency where he's getting his ticket told him that he needs an american tourist visa.

As far as I know Italy also belong to the VWP. Now I'm confused because I really don't know if the rules changed.

Please I need to know more about that... poor boy, he is so worry now

[alexil74 0]

Carola check this web site

http://italy.usembassy.gov/visa/default.asp

[Carola 0]

Thank you so much Alex for the link... it looks like my brother needs a visa because he's got a new passport (issued last January) and his picture isn't digital, now I don't know what to do about that...

Edited April 20, 2006 by Carola

[Mand 1]

I didn't think the new passports were coming into effect until October 2006? Or maybe I'm just thinking of Irish ones...hmm, I must look into that myself!

[Carola 0]

hmmm the link says Oct 2005

[Mand 1]

Ireland are probably behind the times on this one, as they only sent off a sample passport to American authorities this week to get approval for the updated changes. What a pain in the butt for family members flying over!!

[alexil74 0]

Thank you so much Alex for the link... it looks like my brother needs a visa because he's got a new passport (issued last January) and his picture isn't digital, now I don't know what to do about that...

..I'm sorry.....

[Fischkoepfin 1]

Your brother should be fine as long as his passport his machine-readable, unless issued after Oct, 26 2005 (last January could mean both). I don't know why Italian passports issued after that date wouldn't have digitized pictures, but I guess it's possible.

Since you, however, live in the US, it might be a good idea for your brother to apply for a visa anyway just to make things faster at POE. Siblings don't usually raise red flags, but it can of course lead to some extra questions. The visa (B2) is normally good for ten years and multiple entries.

[Boiler 45,761]

Your brother should be fine as long as his passport his machine-readable, unless issued after Oct, 26 2005 (last January could mean both). I don't know why Italian passports issued after that date wouldn't have digitized pictures, but I guess it's possible.

Since you, however, live in the US, it might be a good idea for your brother to apply for a visa anyway just to make things faster at POE. Siblings don't usually raise red flags, but it can of course lead to some extra questions. The visa (B2) is normally good for ten years and multiple entries.

If you can use the VWP and do not have avery good reason for applying for a B2, do not, a bad move.

Edited April 21, 2006 by Boiler

[noemij 0]

Your brother should be fine as long as his passport his machine-readable, unless issued after Oct, 26 2005 (last January could mean both). I don't know why Italian passports issued after that date wouldn't have digitized pictures, but I guess it's possible.

Since you, however, live in the US, it might be a good idea for your brother to apply for a visa anyway just to make things faster at POE. Siblings don't usually raise red flags, but it can of course lead to some extra questions. The visa (B2) is normally good for ten years and multiple entries.

Carola, those that have passports issues after October 26, 2005 have two options: (1) go to select questuras to have digital photos taken for their passports or (2) apply for a tourist visa.

Please take note that if a passport is renewed, or you add additional pages, it counts as a new passport and you will need a visa to travel. We found out about this when my sister-in-law was refused travel last Christmas. My in-laws were aware of the change in regulations and so had applied and obtained their tourist visas, but the regulations did not mention renewed passports and the local questura told my sistere-in-law that she was fine....when she wasn't.

Fish, the reason that passports issued after that date don't have digitized pictures is that not all questuras are equipped to do them. The questura in Rome was supposed to have this equipment by the time the regulation came out, but it didn't.