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I have a valid B1/B2 US visa expiring about a year from now. The passport it's in expired a few years ago, and I recently got a new one.

The passport number does not match, but the national ID number, mentioned in both, does (it used to be the same as your national ID, but not anymore)

Can I travel to the US carrying both passports? Or is it asking for trouble? (I read a few years ago that it was possible, but that might have changed)

Should I just get a new visa to avoid potential complications?

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  • I don't know specifically for this US visa, but this is common, and should not be a problem. You carry both your new passport and your old passport (the one with the visa) and show them both. It is possible to transfer your visa to your new passport, but this usually has a cost. Contact the visa issuing authority.
    – EdmundYeung99
    Commented Sep 17, 2014 at 15:21
  • It is just fine. Any sane border officer willn't be worried about it at all. I have done it quite a few times and nobody has ever raised a finger on this.
    – DumbCoder
    Commented Sep 17, 2014 at 15:29
  • Possible duplicate of UAE visit visa with expired passport number
    – Dmitry Grigoryev
    Commented Nov 19, 2018 at 14:55
  • In response to the above comments: it's not possible to answer this question generally for all countries. Some countries allow it, while others do not.
    – phoog
    Commented Mar 28, 2019 at 18:23

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You don't need to get a new visa.

My old passport has already expired. My visa to travel to the United States is still valid but in my expired passport. Do I need to apply for a new visa with my new passport?

No. If your visa is still valid you can travel to the United States with your two passports, as long as the visa is valid, not damaged, and is the appropriate type of visa required for your principal purpose of travel. (Example: tourist visa, when your principal purpose of travel is tourism). Both passports (the valid and the expired one with the visa) should be from the same country and type (Example: both Uruguayan regular passports, both official passports, etc.). When you arrive at the U.S. port-of-entry (POE, generally an airport or land border) the Customs and Border Protection Immigration Officer will check your visa in the old passport and if s/he decides to admit you into the United States they will stamp your new passport with an admission stamp along with the annotation "VIOPP" (visa in other passport). Do not try to remove the visa from your old passport and stick it into the new valid passport. If you do so, your visa will no longer be valid.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/frequently-asked-questions/about-basics.html

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  • 1
    This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
    – Diego Mijelshon
    Commented Sep 17, 2014 at 15:31
  • 3
    Let me add: I am traveling to the US very frequently with a combination like this for five years now. Not a problem.
    – user4188
    Commented Sep 19, 2014 at 5:24

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