Expert: Roberto Gomes - 7/14/2005

Question
Hello!

I'm travelling alone to Montreal-Canada from Amman-Jordan and I have a free ticket I want to use through Jordanian Airline but there are no routes to Canada. I have to issue the ticket next week (I'm travelling early 2006 so I'll delay it)So I was thinking maybe I'll use it to get to New York JFK and then use a connecting flight to Montreal but I came across this piece of information while looking for connecting flights:


" National JORDAN (JO)            /Transit U.S.A. (US)
Destination CANADA (CA)         
ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW

U.S.A. (US)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER
PROTECTION (CBP) TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED BOTH THE US TRANSIT
WITHOUT VISA (TWOV) AND INTERNATIONAL-TO-INTERNATIONAL (ITI)
PROGRAMS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

Those intending to transit the U.S.A. must comply with entry
requirements. Please make entries applicable to destination
U.S.A.

All passengers arriving from any country, except those
pre-inspected in Canada, must deplane the aircraft and proceed
directly to either the Federal Inspection Services (FIS) area
for inspection, or to an CBP-approved (Customs and Border
Protection) in-transit/progressive clearance lounge. Those
passengers going to the in-transit/progressive clearance
lounge will go through a CBP inspection."



What does that mean?
I won't be able to travel to canada through US AT ALL.. not even if I won't be stopping for more than 24 hours?

Thanks !  

Answer
Dear Amy,

Before the events of 9/11, citizens holding passports from selected countries were allowed to transit the US in a 12-hour period to a third destination, without the need of a US visa. This program was named TWOV (Transit without Visa).

Then the US Immigration alon with the Department of Homeland Security decided to suspend this program. This means that you must have a US visa to use any US port of entry enroute to a third destination.

Best Regards,
R. Gomes