23 June 2004
State Department Stops U.S. Issue of Certain Visas
Visa holders must seek renewal abroad
The U.S. State Department announced June 23 that it plans to stop issuing certain categories of visas in the United States on July 16.
A law passed in 2002 requires visas of the future to include biometric identifiers, such as fingerprints. An explanation of the policy changes printed in the U.S. Federal Register says, "It is not feasible for the Department [of State] to collect the identifiers in the United States."
The State Department encourages holders of the affected visas (those classified in categories E, H, I, L, O and P) to apply for renewal in their home countries.
The Federal Register notice explaining the policy is available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-14245.pdf
Following is the text of the State Department announcement:
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
June 23, 2004
MEDIA NOTE
Discontinuation of Domestic Visa Service for Certain Nonimmigrant Visas
The State Department is discontinuing its domestic reissuance service for E, H, I, L, O, and P visas. The Department will stop accepting applications for these visa classifications on July 16, 2004. The Department will continue to process diplomatic and official visas (A, G, and NATO) in Washington and at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York.
This action is being taken because Section 303 of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act requires the State Department to incorporate a biometric in every U.S. visa issued after October 26, 2004. All visa-adjudicating posts abroad will have fingerprint-scanning equipment installed before the October deadline. Persons residing in the United States in one of the affected visa classes may continue to reside in the country for the period granted by Department of Homeland Security officers at ports of entry. If these persons depart the United States and require new visas to reenter, after July 16 they must seek adjudication of a new visa application at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.
A notice announcing the termination of domestic reissuance service for these visas appears in the Federal Register of June 23, 2004, Public Notice 4747, at page 35121.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=June&x=20040623162538CMretroP0.4051477&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
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