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June/July 2009 >> Article
10
Consular Corner
Prepare Yourself for International Travel
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently published a
booklet titled Know Before You Go, intended to prepare U.S.
residents for international travel. The guide includes a helpful
traveler’s checklist and tips on registering items before leaving
the United States.
Frequent travelers should review the Global Entry program, which
expedites and simplifies re-entry to the United States. U.S.
citizens and U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents aged 14 years and older
are eligible to apply.
To view the full booklet, visit:
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/kbyg_regulations.ctt/kbyg_regulations.pdf.
U.S. Passport Card:
The Department of State began production of the U.S.
Passport Card. This card facilitates entry and expedites document
processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry (may not be used to
travel by air) when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and
Bermuda.
Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for Visa
Waiver Program (VWP) Travelers:
ESTA is a new, fully automated electronic system for screening
passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the
VWP. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel
to the United States, and VWP travelers are encouraged to apply for
authorization as soon as they begin to plan a trip to the United
States. ESTA became mandatory for VWP travelers on January 12, 2009.
DOS Issues Final Rule on Nonimmigrant Visa Fingerprinting:
Effective August 20, 2009, the Department of State requires “ten
print” fingerprint scans for all nonimmigrant visa applicants.
National Visa Center Initiates Online Payment System:
The National Visa Center (NVC) will accept online payments in
connection with NVC processing. For details, choose "Online payment"
from the NVC web page at:
http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1335.html.
International Travel:
In planning international travel, all foreign nationals must ensure
that they carefully review their current immigration documentation
to make sure that they have all of the appropriate travel
documentation required to return to the United States. If in a
non-immigrant status, an individual typically must have a valid visa
in their passport for that category. Advance planning can make the
visa application process smooth and relatively painless. Most visa
applicants will be required to have an in-person interview at the
U.S. embassy or consulate. Therefore, we suggest that the foreign
national carefully review the current visa wait times for
information on interview appointment availability and timeline for
visa issuance at the embassy or consulate. In advance of travel, all
supporting documentation should be carefully reviewed and
instructions regarding the on-line application forms and visa fee
payment should be closely followed to avoid delays.
As some U.S. embassies and consulates have significant visa
appointment scheduling and issuance delays, making advanced planning
critical. The current top five U.S. consular posts with the longest
visa wait times are: Havana, Caracas, Dhahran, Port-au-Prince and
Bogota.
Please consult with your GT attorney for further information and
prior to traveling outside of the United States.
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