Effective January 1, 2024, the Department of State has authorized consular officers to waive required in-person interviews for an expanded subset of visa applicants.
Interviews now may be waived for the following categories:
On December 20, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has updated its policy guidance on international students to consolidate and clarify existing policy regarding F and M nonimmigrant students. The updated guidance is in Volume 2, Part F, of the USCIS Policy Manual. Highlights include the following:
Nonimmigrant Intent
After several months of improving processing times, the State Department announced yesterday that it is now processing routine U.S. passport applications in 6 to 8 weeks and expedited applications in only 2 to 3 weeks. This is a substantial, multi-week improvement from early November when the State Department last announced faster processing times. Notably, this
The State Department has recently extended the validity of certain visas for citizens of France, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cuba. This trend may signal an effort is underway to adjust visa validity periods for other nationalities and visa types. Travelers are advised to monitor the State Department’s website for announced changes.
On November 6, 2023, the U.S. Department of State announced, for the second consecutive month, that processing times for passport applications have improved. The Department is now processing routine applications in 7 to 10 weeks and expedited applications in only 3 to 5 weeks. This is an improvement of 1 week for regular applications
On October 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Israel’s immediate eligibility for the Visa Waiver Program. This follows DHS’ September 27th designation, announcing a November 30, 2023 start date, which has apparently been accelerated. Israelis may now apply for the Visa Waiver Program online through Customs and Border Protection.
On October 16, 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem announced that both the Embassy and the Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv have ceased offering nonimmigrant and immigrant visa services due to the security situation. The Embassy did not speculate as to when service will resume. Travelers having an emergency need to travel to the
On September 27, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the designation of Israel into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). By November 30, 2023, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will be updated to allow citizens and nationals of Israel to apply for authorization to travel to the United States for tourism
In response to a Trump administration Executive Order, the Department of State published notices on March 30, 2018, in the Federal Register soliciting public comment on requiring visa applicants to provide any identifiers used by applicants on certain listed social media platforms during the five years preceding the date of the application. On May
On June 8, 2023, the U.S. Department of State announced that it had adopted new technology and enhanced coordination to reduce the time required for Administrative Processing, which encompasses a range of possible additional steps that may be required before an applicant can demonstrate eligibility for a visa. These steps may include additional national security