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Consular Updates

Based on conditions at each U.S. consular post, some embassies/consulates may have limited non-immigrant visa service, or could at times be closed. We advise that you check the website for U.S. embassies at http://usembassy.state.gov regarding current procedures and operating hours before making travel plans.

Because local circumstances may change quickly, and consular websites may not be updated immediately, we also suggest that you contact the consular post directly before mailing documents or going to the post.

Due to heightened security, it is expected that consular and immigration operations abroad and in the United States will be slower, and more scrutiny of documentation can be expected. Please review and know the contents of your documents before presenting them to a consular officer or immigration inspector.

Travel to Canada and Mexico: The United States Department of State announced changes to the "automatic revalidation of visa" benefit effective April 1, 2002. The following summary is quoted from the Federal Register of March 7, 2002:
"Due to the need for greater security screening of visa applicants, the Department [of State] is amending the provision for automatic revalidation of expired visas for nonimmigrant aliens returning from short visits to other North American countries or adjacent islands to exclude from its benefits aliens who apply for new visas during such visits and aliens who are nationals of countries identified as state sponsors of terrorism."

Automatic revalidation of visa: In the past, certain nonimmigrants have been allowed to re-enter the United States after a 30-day or less visit to "contiguous territory" (Canada, Mexico, and, in the case of F and J nonimmigrants, the "adjacent islands other than Cuba") without having to obtain a new visa prior to re-entry. There are two changes to the benefit.

1. Individuals who travel to Canada, Mexico, or the adjacent islands who apply for a new U.S. visa while in those countries will no longer be eligible for the "automatic revalidation" benefit, but would have to wait until the visa is approved in order to re-enter the United States. If the new visa is denied, the individual would not be able to re-enter the United States under the automatic revalidation provision, and instead would need to return to their home country or to another country outside North America in order to obtain a visa to re-enter the United States.
2. Citizens of "state sponsors of terrorism" will no longer be eligible for the automatic revalidation of visa benefit. The most recent State Department "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report (year 2000) lists the following countries as state sponsors of terrorism: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea, and Cuba.

At this time the automatic revalidation of visa benefit continues to be available for individuals who do NOT apply for a new U.S. visa while in Canada, Mexico, or the adjacent islands, as long as they are not from one of the "state sponsor of terrorism" countries. The security namecheck procedure discussed below for men from certain Arab and Muslim countries is still in effect.

The update above is adapted from the NAFSA: Association of International Educators Practice Advisory 2002-B.

U.S. Department of State Visa Procedures for Citizens of Certain Countries: The U.S. Department of State has announced a waiting period for nonimmigrant visa applications for citizens of certain countries. A security screening process will add at least an additional 20 business days (i.e., four weeks) to the normal visa application processing time at U.S. embassies and consulates. The State Department has not confirmed the list of countries affected. Students and scholars are advised to apply early for visas and to expect delays. Please consult individual embassy websites (http://usembassy.state.gov) for updates.

Visa Processing in Montreal, Canada: The U.S. Consulate in Montreal, Canada will no longer process visa applications for individuals residing outside of Canada. For details see the information at: http://montreal.usconsulate.gov/content/content.asp?section=visas&document=index