Oh I'm so lost. Have I got this right?

As a UK citizen, if I apply for a new passport now (before the biometric ones come in later this year), do I need a visa to visit the USA?

After the biometirc ones are standard issue, is my passport still valid and do i still not require a visa?

Sorry for being thick

No. As long as you get your new passport issued before October (26th??) you'll be fine. www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/USVisitRegulation1-5-04.pdf

"Are Travelers Who Come Under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Affected by This Rule?

At this time, travelers who seek to enter under the VWP are not affected by this rule. However, under current law. an alien will not be admitted under the VWP on or after October 26, 2004, without a machine-readable, tamper-resistant passport that meets ICAO biometric standards for photographs, unless his passport is unexpired and was issued prior to that date."

(Emphasis mine..)

The big issue is that the UK is not ready to issue full biometric passports for a while, so passports issued _after_ Oct 26, 2004 but before biometric passports are available will not be valid under the VWP, and a full visa will be needed.

As a Brit living in the US, I'd advise anyone that travels frequently to the US and who holds a UK passport that is due to expire before 2006 to seriously consider renewing it now. Although you'd lose 18 months worth of value from your existing passport, a visa would end up costing you more.

The official date for UK passports to be biometric is currently "mid 2005". Whether that happens or not remains to be seen.

Thanks for that. Its what I thought but its good to get non-jargony clarification.

I registered with MORI to be involved with the new biometric passport trial and was told "we are currently finalising the locations and will advise interested parties when this is complete". Not heard back, but am I an "interested party"?

Gareth