Visa Revalidation No Longer Available as of July 16, 2004

The Department of State announced that it will no longer accept applications for visa revalidation after July 16, 2004.  (In the past, certain foreign nationals holding previously issued visas in E, H, I, L, O, or P status and whose visas would be expiring within 60 days or had not been expired for more than one year were eligible to renew their visas through the U.S. Department of State in the United States, instead of having to travel to a U.S. Consulate abroad.)  Foreign nationals who wish to revalidate their visas in advance of this program’s closure should submit their applications well in advance of the July 16, 2004, cut off date.  At this point it is unclear whether the cut off date applies to applications received by the visa office in Washington, D.C. that processes the visa revalidation applications, or the lockbox in Missouri where the applications are initially sent.

The requirement for all visas to include a biometric identifier, specifically fingerprints, by October 2004, is the reason for the end of the visa revalidation program in the U.S.  Although consular posts abroad possess the equipment and capability to fingerprint visa applicants, the revalidation unit in the U.S. is not equipped to obtain biometric identifiers. 

The implementing regulations are to be published later this month.

We will continue to keep our clients advised of important developments in this area.  If you have specific questions about how these development affect a current or possible future situation, please contact us.