My Passport Expired, But My Visa Is Still Valid: What to Do When Traveling to the U.S.
- Deepak B
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Many travelers panic when their passport expires but they notice their U.S. visa is still valid. The good news? In most cases, you can still travel to the United States legally—if you follow the correct procedure.
1. U.S. Visa Still Valid in an Expired Passport?
Yes, absolutely. A U.S. Visa is still good even if your passport expires long, as:
The visa is still good. It has not expired it has not been. The visa has not been revoked. The visa is still valid.
The visa category and conditions are still appropriate for your travel purpose
You still have the nationality so you do not need to get a new visa because of that. Your nationality has not changed.
Important: The visa is a separate document from your passport. Passport expiration only affects your ability to travel internationally—not the visa's validity.
2. What You Must Do Before Traveling
Your only mandatory action is to obtain a new, currently valid passport from your home country.
You cannot travel internationally on an expired passport, regardless of the valid visa inside it.
Your new passport must meet general international travel standards, including the requirement for some countries to have at least six months of remaining validity.
3. How to Travel with Two Passports
You must present both passports at the airline check-in counter and to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer at the U.S. Port of Entry.
My old passport has. It still has a valid United States visa stamp, in it.
New Passport: Is the valid travel document.
When you get to the United States Port of Entry:
The CBP Officer will review the valid visa in your expired passport.
The Officer is going to use your passport to get you into the United States. They need a passport to do this. The Officer will take your valid passport and use it to process your admission into the United States.
The admission stamp (and the electronic I-94 record) will be placed/annotated against your new passport.
4. Things You Really Need To Remember About The Important Conditions
The dual-passport rule is permitted, provided you meet all of the following conditions:
Same Country: Both the expired passport (with the visa) and the new, valid passport must be from the same country of issuance (same nationality).
Undamaged Visa: The visa stamp in the expired passport must not be torn, mutilated, or otherwise damaged.
To get the visa you need to make sure it is the correct type, for what you are going to do in the country. For example if you are going for business you should get a B-1 visa. This is the visa that people use when they are traveling for business. You cannot use a student visa if you are going for business. The visa you get has to match the reason you are traveling.
No Name Change/Violation: You have not changed your name (unless certain exceptions apply, see below) and you have not violated any U.S. immigration laws that would make your visa automatically void.
5. Do You Need to Transfer the Visa to a New Passport?
The United States government does not usually provide a service to move a visa from a passport, to a new passport.
So when you are traveling you need to do a things. You have to carry your passport that has expired and also has a visa in it. You also have to carry your passport that is valid. Then you have to show both the passport, with the visa and the new valid passport. This is what you are supposed to do when you are traveling with a passport and a new passport.
If you choose to apply for a new visa stamp, you will have to go through the full application and interview process again, and the consular officer will cancel the old visa upon issuance of the new one.
6. What If Your Name Has Changed?
We have a problem that needs to be fixed right now. This is a scenario that requires action from us. We need to do something, about this scenario.
If your name changed (marriage, divorce, legal change) AND your new passport shows the new name:
You cannot use the old visa – The name on the visa must match the name on your travel document
Two options:
You can choose option A which's to apply for a new United States visa. This is because you now have a passport and your name has been changed. You will need to apply for an U.S. Visa to go with your new passport and name.
Option B: Travel with additional documents proving the name change chain (marriage certificate, court order, etc.) – Not recommended, high risk of denial
7. Does this rule apply to every type of visa that exists?
The rule about having two passports is something that applies to every kind of United States visa that is not for immigrants, like the B-1 visa, the B-2 visa, the F-1 visa, the H-1B visa, the L-1 visa, the O-1 visa and so on.
For employment (H, L, O) or student (F) visas, you must also carry your approved I-797 (H, L, O) or I-20 (F) documents, as these govern your status in the U.S., separate from your visa stamp.
8. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Carrying only the new passport
Assuming airlines know the rule (always explain politely)
Booking tickets with a mismatched name
Traveling with a damaged visa page
Applying for a new visa unnecessarily
Good Luck
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