2005 Press Releases
Managing Unexpectedly High Demand for U.S. Visas
December 12, 2005
By U.S. law, for visa-free travel to the United States, passports issued on or after October 26, 2005 must include either a digital photo or a chip containing biometric information. The French Government has encountered delays in issuing biometric passports. French travelers who have passports issued on or after October 26, 2005 must obtain a U.S. visa to either visit or transit the United States.
As a consequence and with the approach of the holiday travel season, the U.S. Embassy is experiencing huge and unexpected demand for visas. The Embassy is extending its hours and expanding its staff to double the number of visas it normally issues each business day. Even so, the Embassy may not be able to keep up with demand. Many people who intended to travel to the United States in the coming weeks may not be able to obtain a visa appointment.
The U.S. Embassy urges French holiday travelers to ensure they have the correct travel documents before they purchase airline tickets. Please note that French machine-readable, non-biometric passports, issued before October 26, 2005, are valid for visa-free travel to the United States. Passports issued on or after October 26, 2005 must be biometric to qualify for visa-free travel.
We regret the frustration and inconvenience these exceptional circumstances are causing French travelers, and we are doing our best to accommodate as many visa applicants as possible.
We hope that biometric passports will soon be issued by the French authorities so that French citizens will once again be able to travel to the United States in most circumstances without a visa.