Electronic passports required for Visa Waiver Program travel
Validated finding · five-country-2010-20260922-v118-evidence-presentation-fix
Policy effect
From April 1, 2016, nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries were required to possess an electronic passport to travel under the programme. A traveller without an electronic passport needed a valid nonimmigrant visa instead.
Conditions and exceptions
Validated condition or limit: From April 1, 2016, nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries were required to possess an electronic passport to travel under the programme.
Official source excerpt
Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.
… meet one of the new eligibility requirements established by the Act, you are ineligible for travel and admission to the United States under the VWP. You will be required to obtain a nonimmigrant visa. Waivers for a respondent’s travel history will not be adjudicated at the border through the I-94W. Are there new passport requirements for travel to the United States under the VWP? Yes. Effective April 1, 2016, all VWP country nationals must possess an electronic passport to travel to the United States under the VWP. If not in possession of an electronic passport, a valid nonimmigrant visa is r …
Review method
Two separate automated exact-claim source reviews
Automated source validation is not independent human legal review. The finding should not be treated as legal advice. Record recovered-us-vwp-electronic-passport-20160401. Something wrong? Flag this record.
Other United States changes operative in 2016
- 2016-01-21Implementation of visa-waiver restrictions for specified nationality and travel histories
- 2016-03-28Three diseases removed from health-related inadmissibility grounds
- 2016-05-10Improving and Expanding Training Opportunities for F-1 Nonimmigrant Students With STEM Degrees and Cap-Gap Relief for All Eligible F-1 Students
- 2016-06-09BIA Precedent Matter of M-H-Z- (No Duress Exception to Material Support Bar)
- 2016-07-06Extension of TPS and Employment Authorization for Honduras and Nicaragua
- 2016-08-29Expansion of Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility
- 2016-09-10Extension of the Designation of El Salvador for Temporary Protected Status
- 2016-10-01Automatic 6-month extension of DED-related EADs for eligible Liberians
- 2016-10-01Syria Temporary Protected Status Redesignation
- 2016-12-13BIA Binding Precedent on Frivolous Asylum Adjudication and Untimely Applications (Matter of M-S-B-)