STEPHANIE MARKS’ IMMIGRATION UPDATE - Vol. 41 (11/2008)
► Green Card Lottery Application Period ENDS on Noon EST, Monday, December 1, 2008
► New Requirements for Visitors to the U.S. Using the Visa Waiver Program
► Seven New Countries Added to Those Who May Use the Visa Waiver Program
► Green Card
Lottery Application Period ENDS at Noon EST, Monday, December 1, 2008
Applications for this year’s diversity visa (green card) lottery (DV-2010)
can only be filed electronically at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov.
Applications must be submitted by noon EST, Monday, December 1, 2008.
Additional information is available at http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1318.html.
► New Requirements
for Visitors Using the Visa Waiver Program
Effective January 12, 2009, all eligible citizens from all Visa Waiver
Program countries must obtain advance approval through a new Electronic
System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to their departure to the
United States. This approval requires entry of name and passport information
on the ESTA website at http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta.
The Visa Waiver Program countries are Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium,
Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
and the United Kingdom.
► Seven New
Countries Added to Those Who May Use the Visa Waiver Program
The Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, the Republic
of Korea and the Slovak Republic have been added to the Visa Waiver Program
effective November 17, 2008. Citizens of these seven countries must have
machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended on or after 10/26/06
with an integrated chip containing information from the data page. Also,
as of November 17, 2008, the requirement to obtain advance online ESTA
travel authorization is applicable to citizens of these seven countries.
Please refer to the above paragraph for detailed information on ESTA requirements.
Additional information is available at http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html.
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