The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has advised the visa applicants planning to engage in Technology-Related Business or Study in U.S. to apply for visa as early as possible, prepare for visa interview well in advance and bring to interview a list of documents (linked herein). The embassy informs that visa applicants involved in technical or scientific fields may need to wait for approximately four to eight weeks for administrative processing.

For full information, please click: DS-160s from Technical/Scientific Professionals May Prompt Administrative Processing

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has published Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) pertaining to new nonimmigrant visa application form DS-160 on its website www.travel.state.gov. The FAQs cover several aspects such as mandatory fields, temporary and permanent saving of application, photo upload, edits, etc.

For details, please click: DS-160 FAQs

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a reminder to U.S. bound travelers from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to comply with Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) requirement. CBP plans to initiate a 60-day transition to enforced ESTA compliance for air carriers and says VWP travelers may not be allowed to board a U.S.-bound plane without an approved ESTA.

Completing its one year, ESTA is an electronic travel authorization that all citizens of VWP countries must obtain prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the U.S. under the VWP.

For complete information, please click: Travelers from VWP Countries Should Complete Online Travel Authorization: CBP Reminder

As indicated in our December 2 and 9, 2009 news bulletins, the new web-based nonimmigrant visa application (NIV) form DS-160 will come into effect in all U.S. consular posts in India from February 1, 2010. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued a press release announcing the Roll Out of “New DS-160 Visa Application Form in India.” For all NIV visa appointments starting from this date, the applicants will need to fill out the new form, which will available online from January 19, 2010.

For complete news, please click: DS-160, New NIV Application is Effective in India from February 1, 2010

The Associated Press reports that the United Nations have praised United States and South Korea for ending their policies restricting entry of people living with HIV and urged 57 other countries to follow the same.  UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe lauded the actions as “a Victory for human rights on two sides of the globe.” He called for “global freedom of movement for people living with HIV in 2010, the year when countries have committed to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated Obama, and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

For complete information, please click: UN Lauds US for lifting HIV travel ban

The U.S. Department of State had published Q&As on Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) rule change that removes HIV from the list of communicable diseases of public health significance and allows HIV infected foreign visitors to enter the U.S.. Readers may recall that on July 02, 2009 we published news “CDC Proposes to Remove HIV from Part 34 Regulation,” of CDCs proposed rule change. The CDC reviewed all public comments and determined that though HIV infection is a serious health condition, it is not a communicable disease that is significant public health risk for introduction, transmission, and spread through casual contact. The final rule is effective January 04, 2010.

For complete information, please follow the link: DOS’ Q&A on Removal of HIV from CDCs List of Communicable Diseases of Public Health Significance

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has published a proposed rule in the federal register amending the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services for nonimmigrant visa application and border crossing card processing fees. The fees are set to rise from $131 to $140 for most non-petition-based nonimmigrant visas and adult Border Crossing Cards (BCCs). Applicants for petition-based visas such as H, L, O, P, Q, and R would pay an application fee of $150. The application fee for K visas for fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens would be $350, and for E visas, its $390.

The measures have come in the wake of a finding that the U.S. Government is not fully covering its costs for the processing of these visas under the current cost structure.

The public are requested to forward their written comments within 60 days beginning from December 14, 2009 (the date of publication of DOS’ notice in the federal register). Interested parties can also reach DOS by the other methods illustrated in the notice linked below.

For full news and related FAQs, please follow the link: Visa Fees Set to Increase

“DS-160,” a fully web-based Nonimmigrant Visa Application (NIV) form will soon replace Forms DS-156, 157, 158, and DS-3052. The new form combines all information previously collected on Electronic Visa Application Forms (EVAF) and will provide users with the ability to review NIV application data before they physically appear for an interview. The Department of State (DOS) aims to replace EVAFs with DS-160 no later than April 30, 2010. This will happen in two phases. The posts listed in the DOS cable (linked herein) will need to adopt DS-160 prior to March 01, 2010. The list includes all five posts in India – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Posts not listed in the cable will have time until April 30, 2010.

The applications for “E” class treaty trader NIVs will complete DS-160 and fill out a hard copy DS-156E until the DS-160E electronic form is fielded in the near future. Moreover, until further notice, K visa applicants should continue to use the DS-156 and DS-156K instead of DS-160.

As there is a possibility of actual implementation date/schedule being different in every single post, the readers and candidates are requested to regularly visit the website of such post. To visit posts, please click here: http://www.usembassy.gov/.

For full news, please follow the link: Worldwide Deployment of DS-160

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had published a final rule in the federal register announcing the addition of Halifax, Canada and Shannon, Ireland as preclearance stations.  CBP officers at preclearance stations conduct inspections and examinations prior to passengers’ arrival in the U.S. This  enables the passengers to the U.S. domestic terminal upon arrival or connect directly to a U.S. domestic flight without further CBP processing.

For complete information please click: CBP Final Rule: Technical Amendments to List of CBP Preclearance Offices in Foreign Countries: Addition of Halifax, Canada and Shannon, Ireland

Effective December 4, 2009, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a final rule to amend its regulations that will exempt portions of a U.S. visitor and immigrant Status Indicator Technology-001 (US-VISIT) Arrival and Departures information System of records from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. The amendment according to DHS was prompted because of the criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement requirements

For complete information, please click: DHS Final Rule: Privacy Act Exemption