Is a machine-readable passport required to enter the United States?
The U.S. Visa Waiver Program requires visitors from various countries to have machine-readable passports to enter the United States. This requirement does not apply to Canadian citizens, even if their passport is issued abroad. Canadian citizens generally do not require a visa to travel to the United States. However, non-citizen permanent residents of Canada (and their children) as well as Canadian citizens in certain categories (such as foreign government officials, officials and employees of international organizations, treaty traders and investors, fiancé/es, and children of fiancé/es) do require a non-immigrant visa to enter the United States. Additional information is available from Passport Canada and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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