SCI: Additional News - Recent Legislation and Visa News

Recent Legislation and Visa News

September 9, 2009: Fee for Visa-Waiver Visitors: The Senate passed yesterday, by a vote of 79-19, the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (S 1023) sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND). The bill would create a nonprofit corporation to attract tourists from other countries to the United States, as well as an Office of Travel Promotion in the Department of Commerce. It would also require the Department of Homeland Security to establish a $10 fee by September 30, 2009, to be assessed on users of a visa-waiver program. Money from the fee would be used to provide the nonprofit corporation up to $10 million for FY 2010 and to match up to $100 million annually in corporate contributions for FY 2011 through 2014.
August 25, 2009: Potential Regulatory Changes to Employee Visas: Recently proposed by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Richard Durbin (D-IL), the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2009 is currently sitting in limbo in the Senate Judiciary Committee. "The legislation…targets loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs. It does not propose lowering the annual cap on the non-immigrant professional visas. In fact, Sen. Grassley has said in the past that he would support an increase in the number of H-1B and L-1 visas granted each year 'if and only if the loopholes in the programs are fixed.' The article also notes that the last time a bill focused on H-1B and L-1 reform emerged from committee consideration was 2004. "Few expect the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2009 to proceed as a standalone bill," and some suggest that it might instead be folded into larger immigration reform. To read more about the proposed changes go to Visa Reform Act.
February 24, 2009: Now Available! See below for the audio recordings of the October 2008 Visa Audio Seminar “Demystifying the J-1 Visa - Consular Processing and Maintaining SEVIS Status” and the January 2009 Visa Audio Seminar “Choosing the Best Visa for Your International Visitor.”
January 12, 2009: Visitors entering the US from Visa Waiver countries need to first register through the online Electronic System of Travel Authorization before they arrive. This will allow the Department of Homeland Security to better monitor the flow of people in and out of the country. The ESTA registration has no extra charge and requires only arrival information and basic personal information. Please click on the ESTA Overview to see a full explanation of the new regulations and find the link to the ESTA website which explains the process further and allows you to register.
December 30, 2008: Effective on this day, Malta has been added to the list of countries authorized to participate in the Visa Waiver Program. US citizens will no longer require a visa to visit Malta if the duration of the stay is less than 90 days.
New! UK Visa Toolkit: For members traveling to the 2009 Sister Cities International Annual Conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland, this is an overview of the visa requirements for foreign nationals. Please click here for more information on the procedures for applying for a UK visa. Important Note: US and EU citizens are not required to have a visa when traveling to the UK for a duration of less than 90 days.
October 27, 2008: The SEVIS fee for F-1 and F-3 visa applications will increase to $200. It will increase to $180 for J-1 visa applications.
October 17, 2008: President Bush announced the imminent expansion of the Visa Waiver Program to include the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, the Republic of Korea and the Slovak Republic. However, the United States must still complete certain internal steps required by statute before it can complete VWP expansion. Nationals of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, the Republic of Korea and the Slovak Republic continue to require visas to travel to the United States during that period. Nationals of these countries are expected to be able to travel without obtaining a visa for tourist and business travel of 90 days or less beginning in mid- November. For more information visit the Visa Waiver Program page on the State Department’s website. More updates on the status of this expansion coming soon!
DS-160 (NEW): Coming Soon. The new DS-160, Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application, will eventually replace current nonimmigrant application forms DS-156, 157, 158, and other related forms. However, the roll-out of the new DS-160 will be gradual. Not all U.S. Embassies and Consulates will be required to use the form at the same time. Consular Officers will use the information entered on the DS-160 to process the visa application and, combined with a personal interview, will determine an applicant's eligibility for a nonimmigrant visa. Check http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/forms/forms_4230.html for more information on the future DS-160 Form.