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Archive for October, 2008

U.S. to Waive Tourist Visa Requirements for 7 Countries

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

President Bush announced a major expansion of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) today by extending it to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and South Korea.

These countries will be admitted to the program, which allows citizens of participating countries to travel to the U.S. without a visa, in “about a month,” according to an announcement by President George Bush.

The seven newly admitted countries agreed to share passenger data and to use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, an online pre-screening system, Bush said.

The countries added to the VWP allow U.S. citizens to visit visa-free, although the U.S. required visas of them. “These close friends of America told me that it was unfair that their people had to jump through bureaucratic hoops that other allies can walk around,” Bush said.

Earlier this year, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary and the Czech Republic stirred transatlantic relations when they signed memoranda of understanding with the U.S. on joining the VWP. The European Union contended that visa policy should be negotiated between the U.S. and the EU and not bilaterally with individual member states.

The U.S. maintains that visa policy is to be negotiated on a bilateral basis between countries.

The announcement of new entrants to the VWP met with enthusiasm from the travel industry. The Travel Industry Association has long advocated for the VWP to be expanded, arguing that the U.S. is suffering a decline in overseas visitors due in part to the difficulty citizens of non-VWP member countries face in obtaining U.S. visas.

TIA estimates that the addition of seven new countries to the VWP could result in an additional 1 million visitors to the U.S. annually.

“Expansion of the Visa Waiver Program is a momentous leap forward for the American economy and proof that we can simultaneously strengthen America’s security and welcome additional visitors,” said Roger Dow, TIA president.

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USCIS Delays Implementation of Direct Mail Program For N-400, Application for Naturalization

Thursday, October 9th, 2008

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today it will delay implementation of the Direct Mail Program for the N-400, Application for Naturalization. A Federal Register notice is scheduled to be published Oct. 10, 2008, announcing this delay.

Last month, USCIS published a notice in the Federal Register, which would have changed the filing address for N-400s from USCIS Service Centers to two lockbox facilities in Arizona and Texas. Implementation of this new process would have begun Oct. 14, 2008.

USCIS is delaying implementation of this new filing procedure to conduct additional tests of the technology involved. Accordingly, the Sept. 12 notice will be withdrawn Oct. 10, 2008.

Applicants for naturalization should continue to submit their Form N-400 according to the instructions on the form until further notice. In almost all cases, this means applicants will submit their N-400s to a USCIS Service Center.

For additional information, visit us on the Web at www.uscis.gov or call the National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283.

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Posted in General Immigration | Comments Off

Archive for October, 2008

U.S. to Waive Tourist Visa Requirements for 7 Countries

USCIS Delays Implementation of Direct Mail Program For N-400, Application for Naturalization

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