Are Your Children on your Passport?
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Are Your Children on your Passport?
Have just learned that yesterday's Sunday Times Travel Section contained an article regarding new regs. An extract is quoted below. Anybody able to post a link or complete transcript please?
Am not affected myself but am amazed that this is round the corner and no major "awareness campaign" has yet been launched (as far as I am aware.
)
Perhaps Mr Blair and co. are too busy with other matters!
"The United States is introducing strict new security rules in the autumn that could seriously disrupt the holiday plans of thousands of British families.
Up to 4m British children are included on their parents’ passports rather than having their own, but from October 1, the USA will refuse entry to any child who is not travelling with their own documentation"
Am not affected myself but am amazed that this is round the corner and no major "awareness campaign" has yet been launched (as far as I am aware.
)Perhaps Mr Blair and co. are too busy with other matters!
"The United States is introducing strict new security rules in the autumn that could seriously disrupt the holiday plans of thousands of British families.
Up to 4m British children are included on their parents’ passports rather than having their own, but from October 1, the USA will refuse entry to any child who is not travelling with their own documentation"
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I'm sure the UK introduced this a few years ago whereby all children had to have their own passports beyond a certain date and if memory serves me right then the entire passport office system ground to a halt in the ensuing rush. No forward planning by the gov, just for a change !!!! 
Paxing All Over The World
Yes, this WAS forward planned. They promulgated the change two or so years ago but everyone thought it meant 'now' and we had queues round the block.
Hopefully, it is no longer an issue.
Hopefully, it is no longer an issue.
Too mean to buy a long personal title
Although UK passport rules were changed some time ago, some of the stuff the US is introducing is new. BA have put out a press release here (wait to be redirected).
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I'm not sure, and only speculating, that this has something to do with child custody issues rather than terrorism.
By having a separate passport, the childs passport can be ordered held (by the custodial parent) or separately flagged.
Many non-custodial parents here in the US flee with their children to other countries where extradition is difficult or impossible.
In the US, if you live in a State that has the word Commonwealth in its formal name, and are a man, you can just plan on forgetting about your kids if you get divorced. If the former domestic partner doesn't want you to see them, you won't!
Except, of course, paying 1/3 of your income as child support, and here in the State of Massachussetts, until they are 23 years old.
Been there, done that.
Now happily married to an Asian woman. No more American chicks for me.......
By having a separate passport, the childs passport can be ordered held (by the custodial parent) or separately flagged.
Many non-custodial parents here in the US flee with their children to other countries where extradition is difficult or impossible.
In the US, if you live in a State that has the word Commonwealth in its formal name, and are a man, you can just plan on forgetting about your kids if you get divorced. If the former domestic partner doesn't want you to see them, you won't!
Except, of course, paying 1/3 of your income as child support, and here in the State of Massachussetts, until they are 23 years old.
Been there, done that.
Now happily married to an Asian woman. No more American chicks for me.......
Paxing All Over The World
A-V-8R: You are correct. This was all about child protection as many men were taking their children out of the UK to family homes in the mid-east.
Also, the reciprocal journey by mothers, I understand!
Also, the reciprocal journey by mothers, I understand!
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Okay here's what's going on - I'm a travel agent and have had to contact several customers to warn them & I know the rules inside out now.
From 1 October everyone entering the US must have a machine readable passport (MRP). If you don't know what that means look at the photo page of your passport - if you can see 2 lines of coding with lots of >>>>>>>> letters and numbers then you have a MRP. All the big old style UK passports are not MRPs.
Most of the smaller red passports are MRPs but ones which were issued overseas (eg at an embassy etc) are most likely not MRPs.
If you do not have an MRP you EITHER have to get one OR apply for a visa to enter the US - apparently the latter takes approx 4 weeks.
If you have a child on a parent's passport they can travel into the US on that passport so long as
a: it is a MRP
b: the child has a visa
It will be easier for all to simply get a MRP each.
All the above has nothing to do with the UK Passport Agency fiasco of a few years ago when the change in ruling was so badly communicated that people thought then that kids had to get their own passports - that was wrong. Kids already on a parents passport can travel that way (without their own) unless of course entering the US after 1st Oct.
cheers
FF
From 1 October everyone entering the US must have a machine readable passport (MRP). If you don't know what that means look at the photo page of your passport - if you can see 2 lines of coding with lots of >>>>>>>> letters and numbers then you have a MRP. All the big old style UK passports are not MRPs.
Most of the smaller red passports are MRPs but ones which were issued overseas (eg at an embassy etc) are most likely not MRPs.
If you do not have an MRP you EITHER have to get one OR apply for a visa to enter the US - apparently the latter takes approx 4 weeks.
If you have a child on a parent's passport they can travel into the US on that passport so long as
a: it is a MRP
b: the child has a visa
It will be easier for all to simply get a MRP each.
All the above has nothing to do with the UK Passport Agency fiasco of a few years ago when the change in ruling was so badly communicated that people thought then that kids had to get their own passports - that was wrong. Kids already on a parents passport can travel that way (without their own) unless of course entering the US after 1st Oct.
cheers
FF
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Just got both my kids "done". One new passport for a baby (taking the photograph was - interesting 
), and one removed from our passports and now has her own.
Just wanted to say that turnaround time, from me dropping the envelope in the postbox to receiving the passport was - SIX WORKING DAYS - and that was without paying any fast-track fees or extra 'checking' fees to the Post Office. Big thanks to the passport people! Made a trip abroad before the end of school hols possible which we never thought could happen!
HINT: Use the online application service, I get the impression that they are fast-tracking these at the moment to give a good impression of this service to first time online customers.
), and one removed from our passports and now has her own.Just wanted to say that turnaround time, from me dropping the envelope in the postbox to receiving the passport was - SIX WORKING DAYS - and that was without paying any fast-track fees or extra 'checking' fees to the Post Office. Big thanks to the passport people! Made a trip abroad before the end of school hols possible which we never thought could happen!
HINT: Use the online application service, I get the impression that they are fast-tracking these at the moment to give a good impression of this service to first time online customers.
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A tip for those who are taking photos of a baby for Passports ...
I had to help my aunt with her newborn, for her passport. The method we used, which worked brilliantly, is to lay the baby on a white bed sheet, and take the photo with a normal/digital camera, and then print on photo paper, cutting as necessary.
Jordan
I had to help my aunt with her newborn, for her passport. The method we used, which worked brilliantly, is to lay the baby on a white bed sheet, and take the photo with a normal/digital camera, and then print on photo paper, cutting as necessary.
Jordan
Free Man, Not a Number
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Both short people have their own passports (5 and 11 months). If it's a baby you are allowed to have a hand in shot to hold them up!
It makes sense to get them their own passports as once the initial formailities are completed it just becomes a renewal issue in future.
I still think it was done to make more money for the government.
It makes sense to get them their own passports as once the initial formailities are completed it just becomes a renewal issue in future.
I still think it was done to make more money for the government.
Too mean to buy a long personal title
Just had my passport renewed, and it was a dream dealing with the Passport Office. I started off using the online application service, but shortly after the application went in the post I realised that I had left things a bit fine if anything went wrong with the system (the Post Office failing to deliver during a strike, just to take one example).
So I called the helpline a few days later. After speaking to the call centre, it took less than two minutes to locate my application and transfer me to a member of staff in the office where the application was. After asking to upgrade to the same day return service, I was called back in less than an hour by an examiner who confirmed that the application was fine and that the new passport would be back in the post that afternoon or the following morning. In fact, I received the passport before 9.15 am the following day.
It probably doesn't soothe the feelings of the people who got caught up in the fiasco when the new Passport Office systems went in, but they certainly seem to be working well at the moment.
This has now been officially announced:- www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2003/24407.htm
So I called the helpline a few days later. After speaking to the call centre, it took less than two minutes to locate my application and transfer me to a member of staff in the office where the application was. After asking to upgrade to the same day return service, I was called back in less than an hour by an examiner who confirmed that the application was fine and that the new passport would be back in the post that afternoon or the following morning. In fact, I received the passport before 9.15 am the following day.
It probably doesn't soothe the feelings of the people who got caught up in the fiasco when the new Passport Office systems went in, but they certainly seem to be working well at the moment.
Mike Jenvey: From yesterday’s UK Mail on Sunday Travel news, it seems that the rules about machine-readable passports & the visa waiver programme have been put back one year until Oct 04 (also the requirement for children to have their own passport for entry under the visa waiver programme has also been put back one year).
