"Big" Reminder to Canada/Mexico Travellers
Somehow, the U.S. Department of State web site has failed to post this critical "advisory" to the web site visitors. Regardless of the government web site message, these travellers should be aware of the fact that this new rule takes effect on Monday, April 1, 2002. If any of you have a schedule to appear at one of the American Consulates in these countries and are scheduled to return to the U.S. on or after Monday, you should reconsider it if you do not have a valid visa in your passport. Even if you have a valid visa, you will not be able to return to the U.S. on that visa if you applied for a change of status, for instance, from F-1 to H-1B in the U.S.and you are no longer in school. People who obtained a change of nonimmigrant status within the U.S. should review his/her situation before he/she leaves the U.S. If any of you are still in Canada or Mexico to obtain a new visa stamp but do not have a valid visa stamp in the passport, you may want to return to the U.S. before Monday, especially if you think that you have some chances of denial of visa issuance by the American Consulates in Canada or Mexico. Remember that a valid I-94 is not, repeat not, enough to return to the U.S. if you travelled over to the contiguous countries and applied for a U.S. visa, unless you have a valid visa in the passport.
The people from the countries which are listed in the regulation as terrorism sponsoring countries should not, repeat, not travel over to Canada or Mexico, unless they have a valid visa in the passport. For these people, the new rule applies even if they did not apply for a visa at the American Consulate in Canada or Mexico.
Special Warning to F-visa and J-visa Holders: Before this regulation becomes in effect, you were able to travel on advacent islands without a valid visa and with a valid I-94, but not, repeat not, any more after this Sunday, if you came from one of those countries listed in the regulation. This is a Spring Break time and you may plan on travelling these islands. Watch out if you came from the terrorism sponsoring countries which are listed in this DOS regulation.
Somehow, the U.S. Department of State web site has failed to post this critical "advisory" to the web site visitors. Regardless of the government web site message, these travellers should be aware of the fact that this new rule takes effect on Monday, April 1, 2002. If any of you have a schedule to appear at one of the American Consulates in these countries and are scheduled to return to the U.S. on or after Monday, you should reconsider it if you do not have a valid visa in your passport. Even if you have a valid visa, you will not be able to return to the U.S. on that visa if you applied for a change of status, for instance, from F-1 to H-1B in the U.S.and you are no longer in school. People who obtained a change of nonimmigrant status within the U.S. should review his/her situation before he/she leaves the U.S. If any of you are still in Canada or Mexico to obtain a new visa stamp but do not have a valid visa stamp in the passport, you may want to return to the U.S. before Monday, especially if you think that you have some chances of denial of visa issuance by the American Consulates in Canada or Mexico. Remember that a valid I-94 is not, repeat not, enough to return to the U.S. if you travelled over to the contiguous countries and applied for a U.S. visa, unless you have a valid visa in the passport.
The people from the countries which are listed in the regulation as terrorism sponsoring countries should not, repeat, not travel over to Canada or Mexico, unless they have a valid visa in the passport. For these people, the new rule applies even if they did not apply for a visa at the American Consulate in Canada or Mexico.
Special Warning to F-visa and J-visa Holders: Before this regulation becomes in effect, you were able to travel on advacent islands without a valid visa and with a valid I-94, but not, repeat not, any more after this Sunday, if you came from one of those countries listed in the regulation. This is a Spring Break time and you may plan on travelling these islands. Watch out if you came from the terrorism sponsoring countries which are listed in this DOS regulation.