Travelers heading through Orlando International Airport need a valid passport before they fly, and in many cases they also need a visa or a visa waiver document. CBP says that if a passport is expired, entry to the United States is impossible unless the traveler carries a valid B-2 visa in the old passport and presents both passports.
That matters now because airlines are checking documents before boarding, while CBP makes the final call when travelers arrive. The result is a two-step filter that can stop a trip twice: first at the counter, then at the airport of entry.
For many people coming from América Latina, the key document is a B-2 visa obtained at a U.S. consulate before travel. The B-2 allows a stay for tourism, family visits, or medical treatment. Citizens of many countries, including countries in the European Union, Chile, and Uruguay, can instead apply for an electronic permit through the VWP, but the passport still has to meet the entry rules. At international airports, that is the starting point, not the finish line.
At Orlando and Miami in Florida, and Los Ángeles in California, CBP officers verify documents and may conduct a brief interview to decide whether a person can enter the country and for how long. The agency says officers are responsible for determining identity and nationality, and for blocking ineligible foreigners, including criminals, terrorists, and drug traffickers. U.S. citizens are admitted after verification of citizenship; foreigners are questioned and their documents examined under U.S. immigration law.
The friction is plain. Airlines must verify that a passport is valid before boarding, and they can face fines if they let travelers with irregular documentation board. But even a clean airline check does not guarantee entry. CBP still has the last word on admissibility when the traveler lands in Orlando or anywhere else where the same rules apply.
The same system also explains why departure records matter after a trip. The I-94 form is now electronic, and CBP automatically collects arrival and departure information through electronic travel records. CBP does not stamp passports when leaving the United States, so evidence of departure can come from entry stamps, transport tickets, payment receipts, or other proof. For travelers watching the clock on renewals, the message is simple: do not assume an expired passport can be fixed at the airport. If the passport is expired and there is no valid B-2 visa inside it, the trip ends before it begins.
