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PASSPORTS: admission with biometric data The majority of the 27 Visa Waiver countries will make the October 26, 2004 deadline for the new passport requirements. These include additional information such as fingerprints and digitalized photos for passports. However, Great Britain, Japan and some other countries have informed the US Department of Homeland Security that they will not be able to make the deadline. Citizens of those countries, irrespective of where they are living right now, have to prepared for the fact that they might need a visa to enter the US after that date. The German and Austrian machine-readable passports will still be accepted for the Visa Waiver Program. In case Germany hasn't managed to include a fingerprint in the passport information by October 26, all German travelers entering the US will be fingerprinted upon admission.

At the same time the Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge has issued an internal memo advising all border officials to refrain from taking fingerprints in case waiting times are more than one hour. They seem to be certain, however, that this won't happen, since the airlines already submit the passenger data before the passengers arrive at a US airport. The Secretary wants to limit the time of data collection for each traveler to 15 seconds.

VISA PROCESSING: filing fees raised The administration's budget appropriation for the fiscal year 2005 includes an additional $60 million for speeding up visa processing at the Bureau of US Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security. The USCIS' goal is to be able to ensure a maximum processing time of 6 months for all visa applications by 2006. In addition, the Federal Register of February 3, 2004 states that USCIS is planning to raise the filing fees for most applications by $55.
This especially applies to US companies' petitions for prospective foreign employees. The application I-129 for a temporary work permit is to be raised to $185 and the application I-140 for a permanent work permit to $190. Find a complete overview of all fees here: uscis.gov/graphics/publicaffairs/backgrounds/feeadjust_020304.pdf

US VISA: Questions and consulting Do you have any questions concerning application processes at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services or the US consulates? Or do you need individual consultation? Our experts of our visa and consular service offer fast and comfortable advice via our hotline. Or use our free contact form on our website.