|
CIBT VISA and
Passport Updates
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
• Taiwan has increased visa fees for US citizens to $131.00.
• India has increased fees for most visa types effective July 01, 2008.
Six month business visas will no longer be granted to U.S. citizens. Please
contact customerservice@cibt.com
for the latest information. India will reject applications anytime the
vital information on the passport does not match the application exactly.
Please proof your application form carefully.
• Please be advised that CIBT will now charge a $45.00 per country
research fee for any non-business or non-tourist visa request.
• China continues to tighten its visa policy in advance of the Beijing
Olympic Games. In many cases, Chinese Consulates are requiring additional
back-up documentation such as proof of hotel stay, flight itineraries,
proof of previous visa, host business or Foreign Ministry invitation letters
from China, and certificates of financial guarantee. Each province has a
government department that deals with foreign businesses doing trade within
its jurisdiction. It will likely be to this local office that any local
Chinese company who wants to invite a foreign company must go for
permission/authentication. These requirements are changing almost daily and
are not uniform from city to city. These changes are also being immediately
implemented without advance notice or grace period, so that items already
in progress may be affected. In some cases; we are seeing that China may
deny visa requests to certain foreign nationals residing in the U.S., and
will refer the individual to their home country for application. Please be
assured that CIBT is working diligently to understand and implement these
new requirements. We are updating our systems with this new information as
quickly as possible. Meanwhile, we recommend that travelers contact CIBT (www.cibt.com) for the latest information
prior to submitting documents for processing.
• The Chinese Embassy and its Consulates recently changed visa submission
requirements. As a result, an additional fee of $15 will be temporarily
assessed to cover the extra costs associated with expedited processing and
strict jurisdiction enforcement imposed by China. Please contact customerservice@cibt.com for
further information.
• U.S. cell phones do not work in Japan and Korea. Please contact Global
Phoneworks (http://www.globalphoneworks.com/)
for reduced rate mobile phone rentals. Special promotional discounts
available for groups of 20 or more traveling to China.
• Attention Companies with Aviation Departments: If your company has an
internal aviation department that coordinates flights from the United
States to destinations overseas, then CIBT can assist your crew members
with visas and passports. Requirements for crew members often differ from
those for business travelers. To learn more, please contact Steven Diehl
at: steven.diehl@cibt.com.
Steve would welcome receiving the contact information for your aviation
department so he can send them the necessary information.
• China Group Travel: CIBT anticipates that many of our clients will
be sending groups of employees to China to attend events related to the
summer Olympics. CIBT can help your organization create a program with
customized visa "kits" for groups of 20 or more employees who are
traveling to China at the same time. If you are interested in learning more
about this program, please contact Steven Diehl (CIBT Business Development)
at: steven.diehl@cibt.com.
• Department of Homeland Security delays border crossing rules. Those U.S.
citizens returning to the U.S. by land and sea will not have to present a
passport until June 1, 2009, according to the U.S. DHS and the State
Department. The WHTI land and sea final rule and specific information on
documentation requirements may be obtained at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/.
For general information on the WHTI or other travel-related programs, visit
www.dhs.gov or www.travel.state.gov or www.cibt.com.
• CIBT offices are not open on weekends and cannot accept weekend
deliveries.
|
|
|
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
• Why must I have a full blank visa page in my passport when I need to
get a visa? Why can't a visa be issued on a blank amendment page at the
back of my passport? Most visas are stamped or affixed in your passport
on the pages specifically marked for visas, and some countries require that
visa stamps be placed on those pages that do not contain any other stamps.
Amendment pages at the back of U.S. passports are specifically designated
by the U.S. State Department for changes and endorsements to a passport,
after initial issuance.
|
|
|
TIP OF THE WEEK:
• Before contacting our National Customer Service Center for visa
information (whether by phone or e-mail), please be sure to have the following
vital information available: traveler's nationality, traveler's immigration
status in the U.S. if they are a foreign national, traveler's state of
residence, destination country or countries, purpose of visit (business,
tourism, or transit), planned length of stay in each country, and the
processing timeframe needed. Providing all of this information to us during
your initial contact with CIBT will facilitate your service request in the
most efficient manner possible.
|
|
|
CONSULATE AND EMBASSY CHANGES:
CITY ITEMS &
ISSUES
Chicago- Brazil: now
requires two blank visa pages, side by side. All visa applications must be
filled in online.
Germany: now requires a personal appearance for all tourist visa
applications.
Houston- Egypt: will be closed July 23.
Los Angeles- Brazil: visa processing can take up to two weeks.
Czech Republic: now requires traveler's personal appearance.
Croatia: now requires traveler's personal appearance.
Hungary: now requires traveler's personal appearance.
Romania: now requires traveler's personal appearance.
Miami - No issues.
New York- Brazil: will no longer issue same day visa requests.
Egypt: will be closed July 23.
Nigeria: in addition to the manual form; all visa applications must be
filled in online.
Tanzania: will no longer issue 1 year visa.
Uganda: will no longer issue multiple entry visas.
San Francisco- Egypt: will be closed July 23.
Vietnam: will no longer issue 3 month multiple entry visas.
Washington- Azerbaijan: all visa applications must be filled in
online.
Brazil: will no longer process out of jurisdiction applications.
Egypt: will be closed July 23.
Nigeria: all visa applications must be filled in online.
This update is designed to keep our clients more informed about consulate
and embassy changes. Please circulate it among your staff. If you have any
comments or would like to add or delete a name to the distribution list,
contact us at acctmgmt@cibt.com.
|
|
|
