Here is another copy From Ask Sophie, the advice column that answers immigration-related questions about working for tech companies.
“Your questions are vital to spreading the knowledge that allows people around the world to rise above boundaries and pursue their dreams,” says Sophie Alcorn, a Silicon Valley immigration attorney. “Whether you work in people operations, are a founder, or are looking for a job in Silicon Valley, I want to answer your questions in my next column.”
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dear sophie,
I founded a startup in Zimbabwe a few years ago. I planned to visit the US for the first time next month to check out the market and applied for a visitor visa.
I plan to stay in the US for two months, but I just realized that my passport expires in September. I understand that I need at least six months left on my passport in order to travel to the United States.
Is this (still) true? Do I need to postpone my flight?
Hope in Harare
Dear Hope,
Thank you for contacting me with your questions! It is very exciting to hear about your plans to visit the United States for the first time. Let’s dive into it.
In general, yes, visitors traveling to the United States are required to have passports that are valid for at least six months after their date of arrival in the United States.
However, in the United States, some countries are exempt from the six-month requirement and citizens of those countries only need to have a passport that is valid up to the date of their stay in the United States. , as long as you leave the US before your passport expires, you’re covered! You don’t need to delay your flight!
Image credits: Techcrunch
Last month, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which is responsible for border security at US airports and other ports of entry, released an updated list of countries exempt from the six-month passport validity rule. Nearly 130 countries, including Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, Taiwan and Ukraine, are on that list. China is no exception.
The six-month passport validity waiver only applies to visitors: those with a B-1 business visitor, B-2 tourist visitor visa, or those on an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), the US Visa Waiver Program. Unfortunately, citizens of Zimbabwe are not eligible for the ESTA program, which enables citizens of 40 countries to travel to the United States to work for 90 days or less without first obtaining a visa.