12:28 PM 4/26/2004
In October, consultants will not be able to send their passports to
revalidate their H-1B visas because the State Department will be
requiring biometric identification. If you have consultants who are planning to revalidate their visas through the State Department they should do so before October.
04/23/2004: Biometric Identifier Visa Requirement and Approaching End
Of Visa Revalidation For years, certain classes of nonimmigrants have enjoyed renewing their nonimmigrant visas with out leaving the U.S. by applying for such renewal through so-called visa revalidation unit at the U.S. Department of State by mail. However, the biometric identifier requirement for the visas is destined to kill the visa revalidation services in October 2004. The current law requires that all visas must include a biometric identifier of fingerprints by October 2004.
Unlike posts abroad, the revalidation unit in the U.S. Department of
State in the United States is not equipped to interview or fingerprint visa applicants. Accordingly, the sources of the U.S. Department of State indicates that the visa revalidation services may end before October 2004.
Those who need visa revalidation should send out as soon as possible.
Please remember that not everyone is qualified for the visa revalidation. The nationals from the seven terrorism sponsoring countries are ineligible because of need for interview and biometric identifier. Certain nonimmigrant classes of non-employment visas are also ineligible. Additionally, those eligible cannot apply for revalidation unless their current visas are about to expire within two months or the visas have not expired longer than one year.
This potential change will give a tremendous inconvenience to nonimmigrant visa holders in the U.S. as they will have to spend time and money to travel to the visa posts abroad just to renew their visas.
Even more critical than the issues of time and cost is unpredictability of the nonimmigrant visa processing in certain visa posts out there. Since one cannot return to work in the U.S. until the visa is issued or approved, it will indeed present a nerve-breaking journey. This is particularly true that certain visa posts increasingly deny nonimmigrant visas, particularly dependant family member
visas. Without doubt, such change will add pressures to the visa posts
in Canada and Mexico as the qualified Third Country Nationals will
increasingly try to use the TCN services of these visa posts in the border countries.
In October, consultants will not be able to send their passports to
revalidate their H-1B visas because the State Department will be
requiring biometric identification. If you have consultants who are planning to revalidate their visas through the State Department they should do so before October.
04/23/2004: Biometric Identifier Visa Requirement and Approaching End
Of Visa Revalidation For years, certain classes of nonimmigrants have enjoyed renewing their nonimmigrant visas with out leaving the U.S. by applying for such renewal through so-called visa revalidation unit at the U.S. Department of State by mail. However, the biometric identifier requirement for the visas is destined to kill the visa revalidation services in October 2004. The current law requires that all visas must include a biometric identifier of fingerprints by October 2004.
Unlike posts abroad, the revalidation unit in the U.S. Department of
State in the United States is not equipped to interview or fingerprint visa applicants. Accordingly, the sources of the U.S. Department of State indicates that the visa revalidation services may end before October 2004.
Those who need visa revalidation should send out as soon as possible.
Please remember that not everyone is qualified for the visa revalidation. The nationals from the seven terrorism sponsoring countries are ineligible because of need for interview and biometric identifier. Certain nonimmigrant classes of non-employment visas are also ineligible. Additionally, those eligible cannot apply for revalidation unless their current visas are about to expire within two months or the visas have not expired longer than one year.
This potential change will give a tremendous inconvenience to nonimmigrant visa holders in the U.S. as they will have to spend time and money to travel to the visa posts abroad just to renew their visas.
Even more critical than the issues of time and cost is unpredictability of the nonimmigrant visa processing in certain visa posts out there. Since one cannot return to work in the U.S. until the visa is issued or approved, it will indeed present a nerve-breaking journey. This is particularly true that certain visa posts increasingly deny nonimmigrant visas, particularly dependant family member
visas. Without doubt, such change will add pressures to the visa posts
in Canada and Mexico as the qualified Third Country Nationals will
increasingly try to use the TCN services of these visa posts in the border countries.