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Stateside Visa Renewal Announced by Department of State
Photo by Artur Tumasjan on Unsplash The State Department (DOS) has recently announced a pilot program of domestic visa renewals for H and L visa holders later this year. Ever since 2004, H and L holders must travel back to their home country, renew their visa at the home country’s U.S. Consulate, and then travel […]
The Waiting Is the Hardest Part
Last year I had to develop new and deeper wells of patience. My twin sons were applying to college. We had visited some schools and learned about others remotely. The autumn involved coaching my sons to put their applications together in a timely manner. But it was the months of waiting over the winter for […]
U.S. to drop COVID testing for incoming international air travelers
Good news for international air travelers! According to this Reuters article, the US has decided to drop the requirement for incoming international air travelers to have a negative COVID-19 test. This move ends a 17-month requirement. According to a statement from the Center for Disease Control: …We know that the now-dominant Omicron variant, though more […]
Admission to the US
What happens upon admission to the US? During the admission to the US process Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents stamp your passport and enters your admission record in the database. Always check the expiration date of your stamp before leaving the port of entry! Passport Expiration Expiration dates are different for different visa categories, […]
Combo Cards
What Is a Combo Card? Here is the definition of a Combo Card: In 2011, USCIS announced that they would begin issuing employment and travel authorization on a single “combo” card for those green card applicants already living lawfully in the United States and filing an adjustment of status (AOS) application. By combining the documents, […]
Travel of US Citizens with Expired Passports
U.S. Citizens can travel home on Expired Passports On May 28, 2021, a bulletin was issued permitting U.S. citizens to use their expired U.S. passports, whose passport expired on or after January 1, 2020, to return to the U.S. through Dec. 31, 2021. This exception is hereby extended to allow the use of certain expired […]
Vaccine Requirements Update
COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements for Travelers to the United States On October 25, 2021, President Biden issued Presidential Proclamation 10294 rescinding the geographic COVID-19 travel bans and adopting COVID-19 vaccination requirements for all international air travelers to the United States. It will be effective at 12:01 AM on November 8, 2021, which means that it applies to air passengers on […]
CBP Stampless Entry Program
Photo by ConvertKit on Unsplash From April 2022 to 2023, Customs, Border and Protection Agency (CBP) completed a full year of the “Simplified Arrival” program to achieve streamlining and digitization of the legal entry process. One part of this program was piloting a “Stampless Entry” program in August 2022. CBP has affirmed that this program […]