Comunicado de Prensa
Monday, July 16, 2009
E-Passports Required for all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Emergency or VWP Temporary Passports July 1, 2009
Ending the E-Passport Exemption
Effective July 1, 2009, Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries' emergency and temporary passports will be subject to the electronic passport (e-passport) requirement. This includes VWP applicants who present emergency or temporary passports to transit the United States. Any VWP national or citizen intending to apply for admission under the VWP with an emergency or temporary passport that is issued on/after October 26, 2006, and which is not an e-passport, will be required to apply for a U.S. visa prior to travel or apply for a waiver at a U.S. port of entry.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection may exercise discretion at the ports of entry for cases in which VWP applicants are traveling for medical or other emergency reasons. For any traveler who arrives with a non-compliant emergency or temporary passport and is otherwise admissible, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers may exercise discretion to grant a waiver, without fee, pursuant to section 212(d)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Passports, regardless of the type, must be valid for six months past the expected stay in the United States (unless country-specific agreements provide exemptions). This is a requirement for all categories of passports - regular, diplomatic, and official - when the traveler is seeking to enter the United States for business or tourist purposes, for a maximum of 90 days.
If you are a traveler from a VWP country and your passport does not meet these requirements, you may want to consider obtaining a new VWP-compliant passport from the passport issuing authority in your country of citizenship. Otherwise you cannot travel under VWP and you must obtain a visa in your valid passport for entry into the United States.
Applying for a Visa in Costa Rica
Applicants from Visa Waiver Countries who are requesting expedited appointments because they have been issued emergency (non-electronic) replacement passports after losing their electronic passports while abroad should advise the Call Center. In these cases, the Call Center will schedule an appointment on the next business day. The call center phone number is 0-800-052-1465 and is open Monday thru Friday from 8-6PM. There is a $14 fee for this call.
For more information please refer to http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html#notice
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