Visa to US

[arun]

I found the following reference in the US visa website

" Effective October 26, 2004, travelers eligible to use the Visa Waiver Program MUST be in possession of a Machine Readable Passport (MRP). All travelers not in possession of a MRP, even though otherwise qualified, must obtain a visa prior to traveling to the United States."

I have an Australian passport issued in 2002. Is it a machine readable passport?

 

[Bob]

I recall reading somewhere on that website that if your passport had the two rows of numbers/letters across the bottom of the page with your photo then it was machine readable.

My wife had no trouble getting into the USA in Jan this year and her Australian passport was issued in 1997.

 

[NM]

All current Australian passports are acceptable under the US Visa Waiver Program.

 

[serfty]

The machine readable part is the two lines of type on the bottom of photo page: e.g.

P<AUSNURK<FRED<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
J1234567<4AUS510131M0802288<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<04

A 'machine' would read this as Australian passport number J1234567 for Fred Nurk (no middle name), born 31st Jan 1951, male expiring on 28th February 2008.

 

[arun]

Thanks guys. My passport seems to be a MRP.

 

[eils]

We found it all a bit confusing but on doing a search found this info which seems to sum it up. The Australian ePassport You think they would make it easier to work out though.

 

[NM]

Closing this as its a 2.5 year old thread.