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CIBT VISA and
Passport Updates
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
• Please note: due to tropical storm Edouard; many Houston Consulates
and the U.S. Passport Agency were closed on Tuesday and FedEx and UPS
delivery may be disrupted.
• CIBT announces the opening of full service office in Atlanta. CIBT is
pleased to announce the opening of an office in Atlanta, Georgia effective
October 1. Address details and contact information will follow soon. For
further information, please don't hesitate to contact the CIBT Account
Management Department.
• Effective immediately; India has just announced that a letter from the
sponsoring organization in India on company letterhead will be required for
all business visa applications. Please contact customerservice@cibt.com for
further information.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
• Does CIBT process visa requests for any nationality? What is the
normal processing time for a visa for a non-U.S. citizen? CIBT handles visa
requests for all nationalities. The turn-around time depends on a number of
factors and criteria. Some foreign nationals are considered easier to
process by many consulates, while others can be more challenging. For
example, Western European nationals who require a visa for entry to Brazil
are easier to process than someone who holds a Pakistani passport. Many
consulates must obtain approval from their home government prior to issuing
a visa for citizens of certain countries. If a referral to the home
government is required, processing can take considerably longer.
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TIP OF THE WEEK:
• Before making plans to obtain a visa well in advance of a trip, be sure
to verify the expiration period of the visa for which you are applying.
Many visas will expire if they have not been used within 90 days. Also, a
number of consulates will not process applications more than 2 months in
advance.
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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- Possible disruptions due to Tropical storm Edouard
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.
Kenya: will not issue multiple entry visas until further notice.
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- 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.
Nigeria: all visa applications must be filled in online.
Thailand: will be closed on August 12.
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.
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