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Discontinue - Visa Revalidation / Reissuance Process
- Thread starter rthaniks
- Start date
go to www.immigration-law.com , look for 22-Jun-2003 dated message under Breaking News.
06/22/2003 (Report from New Orleans): Visa Delays and Travel Concern for Nonimmigrant Residents in the U.S.
06/22/2003 (Report from New Orleans): Visa Delays and Travel Concern for Nonimmigrant Residents in the U.S.
06/22/2003 (Report from New Orleans): Visa Delays and Travel Concern for Nonimmigrant Residents in the U.S.
Unlike the visa applicants living abroad, the nonimmigrants living in the U.S. traditionally had three means to extend their visas. One is of course applying for the visas at the home country, the second is applying for the visas at the border countries (Canada and Mexico), and the third is "visa revalidation or reissuance" through the U.S. Department of State in the U.S. Growing visa issuance problems at the American visa posts in their home countries forced a large number of people to look into possibility of getting renewal of their visas in Canada or Mexico as TCN (Third Country National) applicants. However, the switch of TCN processing by visa posts in Canada and Mexico has been turned on and off frequently lately. Additionally these visa posts have imposed additional restrictions for eligibility of TCN application. On top of it, the DOJ/INS rule change on suspension of automatic revalidation of nonimmigrant visas for certain nationals or certain nonimmigrants applying for a visa at the border visa posts when the visa issuance is denied indeed narrowed hair-thin the chances of geting visas at these border posts. As people know, automatic revalidation of visa means that most of the nonimmigrants in the U.S. can travel over to Canada and Mexico and return to the U.S. without a visa inasmuch as they carry a valid I-94 and return within 30 days. Recent changes in the automatic visa revalidation scared people to apply for the visas in the border visa posts, not to mention the unpredictable practice of these visa posts on TCN visa applications.
Except certain nationals from a list of countries including, but not limited to, the so-called seven sponsors of terrorism (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, North Korea, and Cuba) the visa revalidation through the U.S. Department of State indeed has given a relief. "Visa Revalidation" became a shining star. However, the U.S. Department of State has recently changed their nonimmigrant visa policy either abandoning or tremendously restricting issuance of nonimmigrant visas without interview. The visa posts have already started this new procedure, which is causing another delays in the visa issuance. The U.S. Department of State has been taking a position that the visa revalidation will be rejected when interview is necessary. Accordingly, the people from the listed countries of "interest" have been automatically shut out for visa revalidation. Now, when the new Department policy requires, as a standard procedure, interviews for nonimmigrant visas, a question has risen lately how long the visa revalidation program will be able to survive even for all other nonimmigrants in the U.S. Due to this issue and other sources of information, the rumor has been flying around like a wild forest fire that the U.S. Department of State may terminate the visa revalidation practice soon. The responsible U.S. Department of State official responded to this rumor here in New Orleans. Guess what. He confirmed the visa revalidation was alive "at this time." Yeah, yeah, everyone knew that much. Didn't any know that he was a diplomatic official? The officer did not despel the truth of the rumor. The mills of the rumor keep grinding even more fiercely. Should the rumor become a reality, the nonimmigrants in this country will experience a serious challenge for international travel and may have to remain "hostages" being separated from their loved relatives and friends back home. This reporter just crosses the fingers for these nonimmigrants that such termination of visa revalidation does not take place, for god sake!
Unlike the visa applicants living abroad, the nonimmigrants living in the U.S. traditionally had three means to extend their visas. One is of course applying for the visas at the home country, the second is applying for the visas at the border countries (Canada and Mexico), and the third is "visa revalidation or reissuance" through the U.S. Department of State in the U.S. Growing visa issuance problems at the American visa posts in their home countries forced a large number of people to look into possibility of getting renewal of their visas in Canada or Mexico as TCN (Third Country National) applicants. However, the switch of TCN processing by visa posts in Canada and Mexico has been turned on and off frequently lately. Additionally these visa posts have imposed additional restrictions for eligibility of TCN application. On top of it, the DOJ/INS rule change on suspension of automatic revalidation of nonimmigrant visas for certain nationals or certain nonimmigrants applying for a visa at the border visa posts when the visa issuance is denied indeed narrowed hair-thin the chances of geting visas at these border posts. As people know, automatic revalidation of visa means that most of the nonimmigrants in the U.S. can travel over to Canada and Mexico and return to the U.S. without a visa inasmuch as they carry a valid I-94 and return within 30 days. Recent changes in the automatic visa revalidation scared people to apply for the visas in the border visa posts, not to mention the unpredictable practice of these visa posts on TCN visa applications.
Except certain nationals from a list of countries including, but not limited to, the so-called seven sponsors of terrorism (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, North Korea, and Cuba) the visa revalidation through the U.S. Department of State indeed has given a relief. "Visa Revalidation" became a shining star. However, the U.S. Department of State has recently changed their nonimmigrant visa policy either abandoning or tremendously restricting issuance of nonimmigrant visas without interview. The visa posts have already started this new procedure, which is causing another delays in the visa issuance. The U.S. Department of State has been taking a position that the visa revalidation will be rejected when interview is necessary. Accordingly, the people from the listed countries of "interest" have been automatically shut out for visa revalidation. Now, when the new Department policy requires, as a standard procedure, interviews for nonimmigrant visas, a question has risen lately how long the visa revalidation program will be able to survive even for all other nonimmigrants in the U.S. Due to this issue and other sources of information, the rumor has been flying around like a wild forest fire that the U.S. Department of State may terminate the visa revalidation practice soon. The responsible U.S. Department of State official responded to this rumor here in New Orleans. Guess what. He confirmed the visa revalidation was alive "at this time." Yeah, yeah, everyone knew that much. Didn't any know that he was a diplomatic official? The officer did not despel the truth of the rumor. The mills of the rumor keep grinding even more fiercely. Should the rumor become a reality, the nonimmigrants in this country will experience a serious challenge for international travel and may have to remain "hostages" being separated from their loved relatives and friends back home. This reporter just crosses the fingers for these nonimmigrants that such termination of visa revalidation does not take place, for god sake!