The U.S. Department of State has announced it will suspend all consular services, worldwide, on Friday, October 9, 2015, due to a consular systems upgrade.
Continue Reading No Consular Services Will Be Available at Any U.S. Embassy or Consulate Worldwide on Friday, October 9, 2015
US Embassies
National Visa Center Will No Longer Collect Original Civil Documents for Immigrant Visa Applications
By Suzan Kern on
The U.S. Department of State has announced that, as of November 12, 2014, the National Visa Center ceased collecting original civil documents – birth and marriage certificates, police clearance certificates, etc. – from applicants for immigrant visas. From now on, applicants will submit only photocopies of these documents to the NVC and take the originals…
Sequestration May Impact Visa Wait Times
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If automatic spending cuts (“sequestration”) take place at midnight tonight, wait times for visa appointments at US embassies and consulates will likely increase.
At its Daily Press Briefing on February 27, 2013, the Department of State warned that it will have to reduce the numbers of officers who process visa applications worldwide, and said, “We…
Many Visa Renewal Applicants in Mexico Now Exempt from Interview
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The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City has announced that, as of July 1, 2012, individuals seeking to renew their visas at the embassy and consulates in Mexico no longer must attend a visa interview appointment, as long as their current visas are still valid or expired within the past 48 months. Previously, only those whose…
Mexico Visa Procedures To Change In 2011
By Suzan Kern on
Posted in Nonimmigrant Visas, US Embassies
Beginning January 10, 2011, applicants for nonimmigrant visas at the U.S. embassy and consulates in Mexico must visit an Applicant Service Center (ASC) for biometrics (digital photos and fingerprints) before their visa interviews. Applicants will no longer pay separate fees to schedule an appointment, apply for a visa, and have a courier service deliver their…
Department of State Increases Consular Visa Fees
By Suzan Kern on
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced that, as of June 4, 2010, nonimmigrant visa fees have increased at its U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. In the Federal Register notice announcing the move, DOS explained that increases are necessary because an independent study from August 2007 to June 2009 concluded the agency “is…
Errors on New Electronic Visa Application (DS-160) Can Have Serious Consequences
By Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP on
Since 2009, the Department of State has been phasing in a new, online visa application form at embassies worldwide. The new DS-160 combines all previously used forms (DS-156, DS-157 and DS-158) for all nonimmigrant visa applications except Ks and Es. DOS’s goal is to use the DS-160 exclusively worldwide by April 30, 2010.
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Continue Reading Errors on New Electronic Visa Application (DS-160) Can Have Serious Consequences
Visa Waiver/ESTA Questions and Answers
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Qualifying foreign nationals planning to visit the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) must now register under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before traveling to the United States without a visa. ESTA is designed to identify those individuals who may be a security or law enforcement risk. The application takes only…