ITALY: EXTENSION OF DEADLINE FOR BIOMETRIC

UNCLAS ROME 003200

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CMGT PREL IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: EXTENSION OF DEADLINE FOR BIOMETRIC
PASSPORTS FOR VISA WAIVER PROGRAM

REF: STATE 173398


1. Consul General informed Min. Adriano Benedetti, MFA
Director General for Italians Abroad and Political
Migration, July 26 that Congress had passed legislation
granting a one-year extension of the Visa Waiver Program
biometric passport requirement and that the bill had
gone to President Bush for signature. Benedetti, who
has been following the issue closely, said Italy was
greatly appreciative of an extension, as implementation
of the 2004 deadline would pose significant hardship to
Italian travelers. Benedetti noted that Italy still
hopes to put its biometric-enabled passport into general
circulation by the end of 2005. As requested reftel,
Consul General informed Benedetti by letter August 18
that President Bush had signed the legislation into law.
She also passed on reftel's talking points in the form
of a nonpaper.


2. Regarding possible confusion between the extension
of the biometric deadline and the upcoming October 26
requirement for a machine-readable passport, during her
discussion with Benedetti, the Consul General thanked
the Ministry for its support of Mission Italy's outreach
efforts to remind the many Italians who still have old-
style passports that there will be no extension of that
deadline. Those travelers and all children without
passports of their own (most children are included in
the passports of their parents) will either need new
passports or a visa by that day.

SKODON


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2004ROME03200 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED