Note: After September
11, 2001, re-entering the United States has become more difficult.
If you are obtaining a new visa while you are abroad, you
should expect longer than usual processing times. It is recommended
that you check the website for U.S. embassies at http://usembassy.state.gov regarding current procedures, nonimmigrant visa services,
and operating hours before making travel plans. It is also
suggested that you contact the consular post directly before
mailing documents or going to the post. As a result of heightened
security, it is expected that consular and immigration operations
abroad and in the United States will require that documents
be scrutinized more closely. It is your responsibility to
review the contents of your documents before presenting them
to a consular officer or immigration inspector.
Effective August 18, 2003, the Department of State adopted as final an interim rule published in the Federal Register on March 7, 2002, amending the regulation pertaining to Automatic Visa Revalidation.
The rule was proposed in order to allow increased screening of visa applicants, in light of the September 11 attacks. The rule limits the accessibility of automatic revalidation and is no longer available to those applying for a new visa while traveling temporarily to an area covered by the automatic revalidation privilege. It is also no longer available to nationals of countries listed as state sponsors of terrorism.
In general, automatic revalidation is no longer an option on an expired nonimmigrant visa. Students and scholars in lawful nonimmigrant status may no longer travel to contiguous territory and/or adjacent islands and re-enter the U.S. on an expired nonimmigrant visa. Students and scholars whose visas have expired must now travel to the home country in order to update the visa stamp. You can no longer travel to Canada or Mexico to attempt automatic revalidation.
Important Note: If a student or scholar attempts to apply
for a nonimmigrant visa at a US Consulate or Embassy in either
Canada or Mexico and the nonimmigrant visa is denied, he/she
will not be able to return to the US using automatic revalidation.
The student/scholar (and dependents) will be required to return
to his/her country and apply for a new visa stamp.
Revalidating (or Renewing) Visas in the U.S.
The Revalidation Division is discontinuing its domestic visa revalidation (or reissuance) service. Notification of the discontinuation of domestic visa revalidation services was published in the Federal Register on June 23, 2004. The Division will CLOSE TO NEW APPLICATIONS ON JULY 16, 2004. ALL APPLICATIONS FOR VISA REVALIDATIONS IN THE E, H, I, L, O, OR P CATEGORIES MUST BE RECEIVED IN THE ST. LOUIS PROCESSING OFFICE ON OR BEFORE JULY 16, 2004.
Applications and supporting documentation received after July 16, 2004, will be returned.
Applications for visa revalidation following a 221(g) refusal and requests for corrections must be submitted to the Revalidation Division in Washington, DC no later than September 30, 2004.
Please visit http://travel.state.gov/revals.html for specific and updated information. Link also includes:
| General Information Visa Revalidation Is Not Guaranteed Processing Time Application Processing Visas that Cannot be Renewed in the U.S. Required Documentation Fee Payment Where to Send Visa Revalidation Applications Visa and Documentation Return Visa Refusals Other Related Links |
Security
and Background Checks
When applying for a visa to the United States, you may also
be subject to additional security and background checks.
Though the State Department has provided only limited information
on the circumstances that will prompt the checks, the following
may trigger additional screening:
Involvement
in High-Technology
Fields
If you work in high technology, engineering, or the sciences,
you should be prepared to be questioned closely about the
details of your job. Visa delays may result as consular officers
seek security advisory opinions from federal agencies on
your work background. In particular, for those conducting
research in certain technologically sensitive fields on the
Technology
Alert List, the Department of State is required
to conduct a security clearance prior to issuing an initial
U.S. entry visa or extension of visa through a U.S. Embassy
or Consulate abroad. Clearance may take one month to several
months or more.
Citizenship, Nationality or Country
of Birth
Citizens of certain
countries may be subject to increased scrutiny. Although
the State Department has declined to release the list of
countries on national security grounds, it is thought to
include Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti,
Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates,
and Yemen. Nationals or citizens of Cuba and North Korea
are being subjected to increased scrutiny as well.
U.S. Visitor and Immigration Status
Indication Technology
(US-VISIT)
The Department of Homeland Security has implemented the U.S.
Visitor and Immigration Status Indication Technology System
(US-VISIT) effective December 31, 2003.
US-VISIT, described as a “check-in/check-out system”, will collect biographic information and biometric identifiers on all foreign nationals entering the United States, to determine whether an individual is eligible to enter the United States or should be prohibited from entering because of security risks such as past visa or criminal violations or terrorist connections.
During its initial phase, the system will be implemented at international air and sea ports of entry. Upon arrival, the foreign national’s travel documents will be taken. Border officers will then collect comprehensive information on the visitor, including name; date of birth; citizenship; sex; nationality; immigration status; passport number and country of issuance; country of residence; U.S. visa number, date of issuance, and alien registration number, where applicable; and complete address in the United States. The visitor will be checked against various national security and law enforcement databases to determine eligibility.
Upon departure, the foreign national’s identity will again be verified and departure information will be collected. The system is also intended to track changes and extensions to the foreign national’s U.S. immigration status.
For more information about the US-VISIT system, visit http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0333.xml
SPECIAL REGISTRATION PROGRAM (National
Security Entry-Exit
Registration System
[NSEERS])
If
you are a citizen or national of certain
countries, you are required
to be registered in NSEERS at the port of entry
when you arrive in
the United States. This involves being fingerprinted and interviewed.
Note: An immigration or consular officer has
the authority to
register a foreign national at the port of entry if the officer
believes that an individual warrants further
monitoring for national
security reasons.
In addition, males age 16 or older who are nationals or citizens of the following countries are likely to be registered at the port of entry: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritera, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. If you are required to register, you must then comply with the program’s regulations on departure from the U.S.
Departure Control for Special Registrants
If
you are required to follow “special registration” or
NSEERS procedures you must comply with the departure control
rules. As an NSEERS
registrant, you
may depart the United States only through a port that has been
authorized for departure control. At
the authorized
port, you must report to a special departure control office,
where your departure will be verified and
your registration
will then be closed.
Be aware that departure control offices may have limited hours of operation and may not be conveniently located to your airline. If you do not do this it may be difficult or impossible for you to re-enter the US. Be sure to allow enough time at the airport for this procedure so that you will not miss your flight. More information about special registration departure procedures is available at http:///www.ice.gov/graphics/enforce/imm/specreg/WalkawayMaterial.pdf.
