Brides risk denial of permission to enter US

New US immigration regulations introduced at the beginning of this week require tourists to register online for a security clearance at least 72 hours before arriving for their flight to the US, and can lead to some complications for newlyweds leaving on their honeymoon.

“Clearly passengers have to play within the rules,” said an Air Transport Users Council spokesman. “But honeymoons are very special and we would hope that the American authorities would be understanding.”

For UK honeymooners, the US is one of the top destinations, with Hawaii and Las Vegas ranking high in popularity.

With the new regulations in place, newlyweds will have to make their way through the complexities of a new online system, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization – also known as ESTA – before they can board their flight.

What is involved is filling out a form on the computer, providing passport details and receiving approval to enter the US under the visa-waiver programme. The approval process typically takes just seconds.

However, a woman for applies for clearance before her wedding, and uses her maiden name, will have to use her old passport when she travels to the US on her honeymoon.

If she tries to board her flight using a new passport in her married name she risks being refused permission to board, as her clearance to enter the US is in her maiden name.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

cbp.gov/esta