By Jonathan Bell From Royal Gazette

Certain holders of Bermuda passports have been told by authorities in a variety of countries that a visa is required for them to enter the United States, according to the Department of Immigration.

Officials are now in talks with Her Majesty’s Passport Office, the Deputy Governor, the US Consul General, and United States Custom and Border Protection, with the aim of resolving the problem.

A spokeswoman emphasised that the issue had affected travellers at ports of entry other than the US pre-clearance at the LF Wade International Airport.

The passports affected have been those issued after May 2016, and printed in Britain by the UK office.

“The new passport is readable and contains a biometric chip. However, the code in question is GBD, the nationality code for British Dependent Territories, as BMU, the country code for Bermuda, is no longer included on the passport data page; this is the real issue,” the spokeswoman said.

She said that until a resolution is achieved, travellers with a BOTC Bermuda passport issued after May 2016 may be asked to obtain a US visa.

“In such cases, they are advised to co-operate with the authorities of various countries to avoid extreme delays in their travel plans. The Bermuda Government will continue to work expeditiously to resolve the issue and will update the general public accordingly.”

For more on this story go to: http://www.royalgazette.com/news/article/20170302/us-visa-requirement-affects-local-passports?utm_content=toparticle_morelink?+Newsletter&utm_term=0_7deb53b0b5-20efdb6867-68941317