Does the passport need to be valid for 6 months?

[a9753]

I'm traveling on the grand, and i'm travelling from canada into the states. With the new regulations, does my passport need to be valid for 6 months to get into the states, and also the ports: mexico, honduras, belize ?

 

 

Thanks!

[Pam in CA]

Are you a U.S. citizen traveling from Canada or do you have a Canadian passport?

[a9753]

Canadian Passport :)

[West Coast]

You've asked a bit of an open ended question, but in regards to entering the USA from Canada, via air - you will need a 'valid' passport. Note, Canada does not participate in the VISA wavier program, so there is no six month validity requirement - it just needs to be valid.

 

For full details on Canadians entering the US, see the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada website at this link:

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/sos/ci/cur-en.asp?txt_ID=852

 

The Government of Canada continues to recommend that Canadians carry a valid Canadian passport for all visits to the United States. Please note that Canadians are not required to have Machine Readable Passports to enter the U.S., even if the passport was issued abroad. Canada is not a participant in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.

[Colo Cruiser]

A US Passport required by the cruise lines must be valid for 6 months past the end of the travel dates. :)

[dforeigner]

Canada does not participate in the VISA wavier program, so there is no six month validity requirement - it just needs to be valid.[/b][/font]

 

The VISA Waiver program and the expiration date on a passport are two separate issues. An individual from a country participating in the VISA Waiver program does not need a visa but will still need a valid passport.

 

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html

 

International travelers, who are nationals of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries, seeking to travel to the United States without a visa, should review this important information on passport requirements for travelers under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). All VWP travelers, regardless of age or type of passport used, must present individual machine -readable passports. Previous one-time exemptions for first-time VWP travelers without MRPs ended June 26, 2005. In addition, depending on when VWP travelers’ passports were issued, other passport requirements apply:

• Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended on or after 10/26/06 – requires integrated chip with information from the data page (e-Passport).
  
• Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended between 10/26/05 and 10/25/06 – requires digital photograph printed on the data page or integrated chip with information from the data page.
  
• Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended before 10/26/05 – no further requirements.
  
• Temporary, emergency, official and diplomatic passports are exempted from biometric digital photo and chip requirements, but must be machine-readable.
  
• Italian, French and Temporary German Passports

If a traveler cannot meet all of the requirements, he/she must obtain a visa for entry to the United States, and cannot travel without a visa on VWP. See Visa Waiver Program on the DHS, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website for additional information.

[dforeigner]

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/req_canada_mexico.xml

 

Documentary Requirements for Canadian and Mexican Residents

In general, a nonimmigrant visitor must have a valid nonimmigrant visa and a passport that is valid for a minimum of 6-months beyond the initial period of stay in the United States. Even though certain individuals may be exempt the visa and passport requirement, the burden of proof is on the applicant to establish eligibility to enter the United States.

 

 

"Burden of proof" is discussed in the Immigration and Nationality Act section 291. Under current heightened security measures in effect at all ports-of-entry, including those at land border crossing points, each person wishing to enter the United States is responsible for having sufficient documentation to establish identity and citizenship.

 

NOTE: CBP heightened security now requires that each person may have to present identification that has a photograph attached.

 

Entry of Citizens of Canada

Citizens of Canada are exempt from the visa and passport requirement of Immigration and Nationality Act (section 212(a)(7).) To enter the United States, a Canadian citizen must be able to establish both identity and citizenship. Documents that may establish citizenship are:

• Birth certificate
  
• Citizenship certificate
  
• Passport.

Although a CBP officer may accept an oral declaration of citizenship, it is recommended that a Canadian citizen carry a document that establishes citizenship. Under current procedures, all travelers may be required to present photo-identification.

 

NOTE: A Canadian citizen arriving from outside the Western Hemisphere is required to present a passport. Canadian citizens classified as Treaty Trader, Treaty Investor, or Fiancé(e) require a visa.

 

Entry of Non-Citizen Residents in Canada or Bermuda

Effective March 17, 2003, citizens of Ireland and nationals of British Commonwealth countries resident in Canada or Bermuda are required to present a valid non-immigrant visa for entry to the United States, unless they are a national of a country designated eligible to enter under the Visa Waiver Program. Information in obtaining a visa while in Canada is available on the Website of the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada.

Entry into the United States Under the Visa Waiver Program

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows citizens of 27 countries to apply for entry to the United States without a nonimmigrant visa if they are seeking entry for 90 days or less as a visitor for business or pleasure. Applicants under the VWP must have a valid, unexpired passport. Countries designated under this program are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom.

[chasetf]

A US Passport required by the cruise lines must be valid for 6 months past the end of the travel dates. :)

The cruise lines only requires it because the country immigration policies require it.....;)

[Protirees]

I'm traveling on the grand, and i'm travelling from canada into the states. With the new regulations, does my passport need to be valid for 6 months to get into the states, and also the ports: mexico, honduras, belize ?

 

 

Thanks!

 

I am also from Canada, travelling on a Canadian passport. You will have to check the passport requirements for each country that you will be visiting on this trip. The six month expiry date is a requirement in certain countries (not sure about the ones you will be visiting on your particular trip). I have run into this in different countries I have visited. If you are not sure, it is wise to renew. It is always better to renew your passport earlier rather than later anyway. I now, as a matter of practice, renew mine well before the six month expiry window just in case I end up in a country where this matters.