Orlando, January 13, 2004 -- British citizens can stop worrying about recent media reports that they will need visas to vacation in the United States, says Stewart Granville, the British owner of Florida's "Last Minute Villas" ( http://www.lastminutevillas.net ).
"Numerous news stories have warned that all British citizens would need visas to vacation in Florida and elsewhere in the USA after October 26, 2004. That statement is completely false," Mr. Granville says. "Any British citizen with a valid machine-readable passport dated prior to October 26, 2004, can enjoy a private Florida vacation villa rental without obtaining a visa...for the ten-year life of the passport."
After October 26, 2004, the USA visa waiver program for British citizens will also remain for anybody presenting a new passport with biometric data (facial recognition) as approved by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The British government has announced that UK passports will meet this standard by mid-2005.
Florida villa rentals remain open for British vacationers
"The only people who will require a ?67 visa to vacation in the USA are people with passports issued after October 26, 2004, and prior to the new biometric passports in mid-2005," Mr. Granville says.
More than four million Britons a year travel to the US, including 65% of http://www.lastminutevillas.net clients.
"If you plan to enjoy a Florida holiday in a private villa or vacation home rental, make sure your current British passport will still be valid on those dates," Granville advises. "If your passport is set to expire prior to mid-2005, we advise you to get it renewed before the October 26, 2004 cut-off date to save the ?67 cost."
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Stewart Granville is owner of http://www.LastMinuteVillas.net and http://www.OrlandoVillaOwners.com. Both web sites help people from around the world find the best Florida villa rental or private vacation home in the Orlando and Gulf Coast areas of Florida. David Leonhardt is a freelance publicity specialist and writer.
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