smartraveller.gov.au - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
It's a must see destination.
It's a must see destination.
United States of America
| United States of America overall | This Advice is current for Saturday, 22 November 2008. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be alert to own security | Exercise caution | High degree of caution | Reconsider your need to travel | Do not travel |
This advice has been reviewed and reissued. It contains new information under Entry and Exit Requirements (voluntary implementation of the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, ESTA). The overall level of the advice has not changed.
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Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.
We advise you to exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in the United States because of the risk of terrorism. Pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
The United States Department of Homeland Security's Advisory System Threat Level is at Orange for all domestic and international flights, indicating a "high" risk of terrorist attack. It is at Yellow or "elevated" for all other sectors, indicating a significant risk of terrorist attack.
A number of security enhancements have been made in the United States since the June 2007 terrorist incidents in London and Glasgow, including an increase in the general security presence and vetting at ports of entry. For more information see the Enhanced Airport and Air Travel Security Regulations bulletin.
Further information on safety and security is available from the following United States government agencies
Crime rates are higher in the larger cities, such as New York, Los Angeles and Houston. Tourists are often targeted for petty crimes such as pick-pocketing and theft, particularly on public transport.
If you are travelling from an airport in the United States, either domestically or internationally, there are limitations on carrying liquids, gels, lotions and other items of similar consistency. You may carry through security checkpoints only travel-sized (85g or less) toiletries that fit comfortably in one, litre-sized, clear plastic, zip-top bag. Larger amounts of prescription liquid medications, baby formula and diabetic glucose treatments must be declared at the checkpoint for additional screening. After clearing security at United States airports, travellers can take onboard beverages and other items purchased in the boarding area beyond the security checkpoint. If you are unsure of these requirements, check with your airline or on the United States Transport Security Administration's website.
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike struck parts of Texas and Louisiana in early September 2008 causing flooding and significant communication, transport and infrastructure damage which is expected to take some time to restore. Before travelling to those areas, you should check conditions with your tour operator or hotel. Updates are available on the webstites of the Office of the Governor of Texas and the Office of the Governor of Louisiana.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a new program in February 2007 to help travellers resolve possible "watch list" (people identified by the Terrorist Screening Centre) misidentification issues. The DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) can be accessed at www.dhs.gov/trip.
The United States enforces restrictions on travel to Cuba. The embargo applies to all United States citizens and permanent residents wherever they are located, and all people and organisations physically in the United States, including Australians. If you plan to travel to Cuba, make sure you are familiar with the sanctions. For further details, see the Office of Foreign Assets Control website.
Passengers on international flights to and from Australia are only allowed to carry a small amount of liquids (including aerosols and gels) in their carry-on baggage. You can find out more information at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government website. Similar restrictions apply to flights in an increasing number of countries. Contact your airline for further information.
If you have concerns about the safety standards of a particular airline or aircraft, we recommend you research the airline or aircraft through organisations such as Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has published fact sheets on security for air travellers. When staff at Australia's overseas missions are advised not to use particular airlines due to safety concerns, this will be included in the travel advisory.
The European Union (EU) has published a list of airlines that are subject to operating bans or restrictions within the EU. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through its foreign assessment program focuses on a country's ability, not the individual airline, to adhere to international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance established by ICAO.
The United States is subject to a wide range of natural hazards including hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around the Pacific Basin including Hawaii; tornadoes in the midwest and southeast; mudslides in California; flooding and forest fires in the west, especially from March to November. General information on fires in the United States is available at the US National Interagency Fire Center website. If you are in areas affected by natural hazards, you should monitor media reports and follow the instructions of local authorities. Mandatory evacuation orders are issued on occasion and apply to everyone, including Australians.
Severe hurricanes occur in the Gulf and Atlantic coastal regions of the United States. During the hurricane season (June to November), landslides, mudslides, flooding and disruptions to essential services may occur.
If you are travelling during hurricane season, you should contact your tour operator to check whether tourist services at your planned destination have been affected.
The direction and strength of hurricanes can change with little warning. You can check the latest hurricane information at the National Hurricane Center website. Television and radio services provide extensive advice from local, state and federal authorities.
In the event of an approaching hurricane, you should identify your local shelter. Flights in and out of affected areas could be delayed or suspended. Available flights may fill quickly. You should contact your airline for the latest flight information. The hurricane could also affect access to sea ports in the region. In some areas, adequate shelter from a severe hurricane may not be available to all who may choose to stay. You should familiarise yourself with your hotel or cruise ship evacuation plans. You should carry your travel documents at all times (i.e. Passport, picture ID's, etc.) or secure them in a safe, waterproof location. We also suggest that you contact friends and family in Australia with updates about your welfare and whereabouts. For further information, see our Travel Bulletin: Severe Weather – Cyclones, Hurricanes and Typhoons.
Australians considering travel to areas often affected by tropical storms should give careful thought to the possible dangers and inconveniences should a storm strike. Those who decide to continue their travel plans should devise an emergency plan to follow in the event of a severe weather conditions. Ensure you protect your vital documents, including your passport and airline tickets, from water damage by placing them in a waterproof container such as a zip-lock bag.
All oceanic regions of the world can experience tsunamis, but in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, there is a more frequent occurrence of large, destructive tsunamis because of the many large earthquakes along major tectonic plate boundaries and ocean trenches. See the Tsunami Awareness brochure.
If you are caught in a disaster in the United States you can register that you are safe and well on the Red Cross "Safe and Well" website so your family and friends may review the site and confirm your safety.
If a natural disaster occurs, follow the advice of local authorities.
Australians are advised to maintain a safe and legal distance when observing wildlife, including marine animals and birds. You should only use reputable and professional guides or tour operators and closely follow park regulations and wardens' advice.
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Check with your bank whether your ATM card will work overseas.
Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.
As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority. The United States has specific requirements regarding locks used on airline baggage. See the Transport Security Administration's website for further details.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.
You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.
If you are planning on placing your children in schools or childcare facilities overseas we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments. You should exercise the same precautions you would take before placing children into schools or childcare facilities in Australia.
Ideas on how to select childcare providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.
When you are in the United States of America, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.
Penalties for drug-related offences, including marijuana use, are severe and provide for minimum mandatory sentences.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 17 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in sexual activity with children under 16 while outside of Australia.
The United States recognises dual nationality. Dual nationals are required by United States law to travel with both passports and use their United States passport to enter and exit the country.
Our Travel Information for Dual Nationals brochure provides further information for dual nationals.
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of the United States for the most up to date information.
The United States administers a strict entry regime and you may be refused entry on arrival if you don't comply with entry requirements. We strongly recommend you contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of the United States of America about your specific circumstances, well in advance of travel, including if you plan to transit the United States.
For up-to-date visa information, you should review information contained on the following United States Government websites before deciding whether to seek entry under the Visa Waiver Program or to apply for a visa:
If you are visiting the United States for business or pleasure, you may be eligible to be admitted for 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). If you wish to work (including on journalism assignments), study, or stay for more than 90 days, you are not eligible for entry under the Program and you must obtain a visa before travelling.
Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA): The United States is changing its entry procedures for Australian passport holders visiting or transiting the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and has introduced an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). The program is voluntary until 12 January 2009 at which point, online completion is expected to become mandatory for all eligible VWP travelers to the United States. For further information, please see our travel bulletin on entry into the United States.
If you are travelling on your Australian passport, your passport does not need to be an ePassport for entry under the Visa Waiver Program, but it must be machine-readable. Australian passports that do not have two lines of 44 characters at the bottom of the personal particulars page are not machine-readable. To confirm whether your passport is machine-readable, please contact the Australian Passports Information Service on 131232 (within Australia).
Whether you are staying with family or friends or staying at a hotel, you will need to provide full details of a valid address in the United States when you check in for your flight. A five-digit zip code (post code) is required for all addresses. If you are a permanent resident of the United States, you will be asked for your Alien Registration Number and your country of normal residence. Further information, including examples of addresses if you are joining a cruise ship or touring by rental car, is available from US Customs and Border Protection.
Many US permanent residents (‘greencard’ holders) believe they can live abroad as long as they return to the United States at least once a year. This is incorrect. Full details are contained in the United States Government’s publication ‘Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants’ available at www.welcometousa.gov. Permanent residents who leave the United States for extended periods, or who cannot show their intent to live permanently in the United States, may lose their permanent resident status.
Under the US-VISIT program, most visitors to the United States, including those seeking entry under the Visa Waiver Program, are required to have fingerprints scanned by an inkless device and to have a digital photograph taken on arrival.
International visitors will receive a white or green Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94 or Form I-94W), upon arrival in the United States. This form must be returned to an airline or ship representative when departing the United States. It is usually taken at the time of check-in. Visitors are lawfully present in the United States only up to the date stamped on their Arrival-Departure Record, not the expiration date printed on the visa. If detected, visitors staying beyond the 90-day Visa Waiver Program limit or beyond the date stamped on their Arrival-Departure Record may be arrested and detained for up to seven weeks or more, deported and likely barred from re-entering the United States, possibly for life.
Where children are travelling alone or with one parent/guardian, we recommend you carry a notarised letter of consent for travel signed by the non-travelling parent(s) or guardian.
Australians with a criminal record (regardless of how minor or how long ago the offence took place) should ensure they seek advice about their visa requirements for entering or transiting the United States as they may be refused entry.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. The Australian Embassy and Consulates-General cannot assist with medical expenses. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.
Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our 'Travelling Well' brochure also provides useful tips for staying healthy and travelling with medicines while overseas.
The standard of medical facilities and care throughout the United States compares favourably with that available in Australia. Medical costs in the United States are, however, extremely high. A visit to a doctor in the United States for even minor complaints can cost several hundred dollars, excluding laboratory tests or medication costs. In the absence of accepted health insurance (or proof of ability to pay), payment would generally be required up front.
Mosquito-borne disease, particularly West Nile virus, is prevalent during summer and continues into autumn months. We recommend you take precautions to avoid mosquito bites, including using repellent at all times, particularly in rural areas. For further information, see the US Government's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention website.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website. For information on our advice to Australians on how to reduce the risk of infection and on Australian Government precautions see our travel bulletin on avian influenza.
In the United States of America, you can obtain consular assistance from the:
Embassy of Australia
1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036-2209
Telephone: 1 202 797 3000
Facsimile: 1 202 797 3331
Consular jurisdiction: Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Website: www.usa.embassy.gov.au
Australian Consulate-General
Atlanta Financial Center, Suite 1140
3353 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
Telephone: 1 404 760 3400
Facsimile: 1 404 760 3401
Consular jurisdiction: For Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Australian Consulate-General
123 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1330
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Telephone: 1 312 419 1480
Facsimile: 1 312 419 1499
Consular jurisdiction: Indiana, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Australian Consulate-General
Penthouse, 1000 Bishop Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Telephone: 1 808 529 8100
Facsimile: 1 808 529 8142
Consular jurisdiction: Hawaii.
Australian Consulate-General
2029 Century Park East, 31st Floor
Los Angeles, California 90067
Telephone: 1 310 229 2300
Facsimile: 1 310 277 2380
Consular jurisdiction: Alaska, Arizona, southern California, Colorado, New Mexico, southern Nevada and Utah.
Australian Consulate-General
150 East 42nd Street, 34th Floor
New York, New York 10017-5612
Telephone: 1 212 351 6500
Facsimile: 1 212 351 6501
Consular jurisdiction: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands of the United States.
Australian Consulate-General
575 Market Street, Suite 1800
San Francisco, California 94105
Telephone: 1 415 536 1970
Facsimile: 1 415 536 1982
Consular jurisdiction: Northern California, Idaho, Montana, northern Nevada, Oregon, Washington State and Wyoming.
Outside business hours, callers from the United States may contact the Consular Emergency Centre in Australia toll-free by dialling 1 888 239 3501. You do not need to dial the international prefix, 011, for this call.
If you are travelling to the United States of America, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the Embassy you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.
While every care has been taken in preparing this travel information for travellers, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees including any member of Australia's consular staff abroad, can accept liability for injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained therein.
