Breaking News

Electronic Visa application becomes obligatory
Starting October 1, 2006, all non-immigrant visa applications for the US must be submitted to the US consulates in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich via an Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF) under evisaforms.state.gov. The electronic application is aimed at shortening the processing times for certain visa applications in Germany. The applications must still be printed out and presented during the interview appointments, however. It is not possible to submit the application via email. Applicants who do not bring their electronic application to the interview appointment have to face longer processing times. This will not, however, shorten the processing times for E-visas, because of the extensive documentation that has to be submitted.

New consul general at the Frankfurt consulate
Jo Ellen Powell, a career member of the Foreign Service, is the new Consul General in Frankfurt since August 21, 2006. Before coming to Frankfurt she was the Executive Director in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the State Department in Washington DC. Before that, she was the director of the Human Resource bureau's Office of Employee Relations of the State Department from 2001 to 2004. She was the Management Counselor in Canberra, Australia from 1998 to 2001. Before that, she held positions abroad in Paris, Rome, Beirut, and Amman, Jordan. Jo Ellen Powell grew up in a Foreign Service family and has lived in Panama, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, India, Iran and Laos. She started working for the State Department's passport office in 1976 and later for the Bureau of Personnel in the Foreign Service Institute. She joined the Foreign Service in 1980. Jo Ellen Powell, who has received several distinguished awards of the State Department, is married to Stephen Engelken, who is also a career Foreign Service Officer. They have one son, John. Richard Aker will keep his post as Deputy Principal Officer. For further information on the US consulate in Frankfurt, please refer to frankfurt.usconculate.de

US government expands Premium Processing Service
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) expands the Premium Processing Service to include to further employment-based immigration visa categories. The Premium Processing Service guarantees a processing time of two weeks maximum once the application has been received in the US and costs $1,000. As of August 28, 2006, USCIS accepts Premium Processing applications for two employment-based immigrant visa categories. Those categories are the EB-3 Professionals (immigrant's holding a bachelor's degree who are working on their chosen profession) and EB-3 Skilled Workers (immigrants working in a filed that requires at least two years of training or work experience). For both categories, applicants need form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker). Premium Processing is not available for other workers in the EB-3 category. Find further information on www.uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/prem_process.htm

Extended residence permits for au pairs
According to a decision by the US Department of State (DOS) of June 8, 2006, au pair sponsors may apply for extensions of 6, 9 or even 12 months of the original validity period. Other than most visas that can be extended at some point prior to expiration, extension applications for au pairs holding a J-1 visa must be submitted at least 30 days before the visa's expiration date. The visa can be extended only once and the application is submitted by computer via the SEVIS program. Find more detailed information about au pair stays in the US on exchanges.state.gov/education/jexchanges/private/aupair.htm