Does my passport have to be valid for six months beyond my trip to the U.S.?

You are planning to vacation in the United States and your suitcase is packed, the hotel and flights booked, and your passport in hand. But someone just told you they heard your passport has to be valid at least six months after your return date back home. You look at your passport and see that it expires in three months.

Don’t worry. While some countries do require that your passport is valid more than six months after your scheduled departure to return home, the United States does not. As long as your passport is valid — even up to the day you return home — you are allowed to enter the United States for a holiday. (If you are traveling outside of the United States and want to know a specific country’s passport expiration requirement, visit the U.S. Department of State’s website and select the country to read about entry/exit requirements.)

However,  if you are planning to work in the United States, with a temporary work visa, including, but not limited to an H-1B, L-1, O-1, P-1 and E visa, then your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the issuance of the visa stamping date. The only exception to this rule is Canadian citizens, who are “visa exempt” except for E-1 or E-2 applicants.

Even after you secure your visa, you may still face an issue at the border or airport. In some cases, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer will issue a work permit only to the date of expiration of your passport, even though your visa or I-797 Approval Notice is valid for a longer period of time. While this is not official U.S. government policy, we have seen this occur at the border.

To avoid the headache, make sure your passport is valid for longer than what your visa is expected to be approved for before you enter the United States.