(日本語)

• Electronic System of Travel Authorization (ESTA) (June 4, 2008)
  DHS will implement an online pre-travel authorization, ESTA, for U.S.-bound travelers from Visa Waiver countries. Under this new online system, all nationals or citizens of VWP countries who plan to travel to the United States for temporary business or pleasure under the VWP will need to receive an electronic travel authorization prior to boarding a U.S.-bound airplane or cruise ship. (more).
  
  please visit DHS website for more ESTA information, https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
  For ESTA FAQs, please see here.
  
  
• DHS TRIP (Traveler Redress Inquiry Program)(March, 25, 2008)
  
  On February 21, 2007, DHS announced its launch of the Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP). TRIP offers legitimate travelers a central online location to address concerns and seek relief from screening-related difficulties they may have experienced during their travel to and from the U.S. This may include being:
  
  
  1. Denied or delayed airline boarding
  2. Denied or delayed entry into and exit from the U.S. at a POE or border checkpoint
  3. Continuously referred to secondary screening
  
  Travelers seeking redress may file a complaint online at https://trip.dhs.gov and track its status by using the control number assigned to their inquiry.
  
  
• Application Fees for Non-Immigrant Visas to Increase On January 1, 2008
(December, 14, 2007)



We would like to inform you that due to a computer error, some applicants who paid their MRV fees between January 4, 2008 and January 8, 2008, BUT who had registered their numbers in December 2007, were automatically charged the old MRV fee of $100 at the ATM. These applicants will need to pay a make-up fee of $31 at the Embassy/Consulate casher. The MRV fee increased to $131 on January 1, 2008, and all applicants should have been charged a $131 MRV fee effective January 1 2008.

Effective January 1, 2008, the application fee for a U.S. non-immigrant visa will increase from $100 to $131. This increase applies both to non-immigrant visas issued on machine-readable foils in passports and to border crossing cards issued to certain applicants in Mexico.

Applicants who paid the prior $100 application fee before January 1 will be processed only if they are scheduled and appear for a visa interview before January 31. Applicants who paid the prior $100 application fee and appear for visa interviews after January 31, 2008 must pay the difference - $31 - before they will be interviewed. In this case, applicants will be able to pay the supplemental $31 dollar fee on their interview day at the embassy or Consulate where they are being interviewed. The Embassy and Consulate cashiers can accept Yen or US dollars.

• Application Fees for Immigrant Visas to Increase On January 1, 2008



Effective January 1, 2008, the application fee for a U.S. immigrant visa will increase from $335 to $355. The fee accurately reflects the cost of enhanced biometric security features which have been added to the immigrant visa system.

Applicants who paid the prior $335 application fee before January 1, 2008 will be processed without further payment even if they appear for an immigrant visa interview after January 1, 2008. Most IV applicants pay their fees through the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC) in the United States. Fee bills sent by NVC will reflect this change effective January 1, 2008.

Applicants who make their payment after January 1, 2008 will be required to pay the increase even if their original fee bill sent prior to January 1, 2008 displays the fee of $335.

This fee increase also impacts Diversity Visa applicants, who pay this fee at the time of interview at post.

• Registration for DV-2009 Visa Lottery Program is closed

(December 03, 2007)

• DV-2009 visa lottery program

(September, 29, 2007)

The Diversity Visa (DV) 2009 Lottery online entry begin at Noon EDT on October 3, 2007, and end at Noon EST on December 2, 2007.

• New Visa Inquiry Service

(September 25, 2007)

Effective September 27, 2007, the telephone number and E-mail address for the US Embassy’s Visa Information Service will be changed. See here.

• 10-finger Biometric Collection Begins
  (September 25, 2007)

  In May 2007, the Department of State announced that it would implement 10-print biometric collection for NIV and IV applicants worldwide by December 21, 2007.

  Effective October 1, 2007, the US Embassy in Tokyo and the Consulate-General in Sapporo will start ten-finger biometric collection expanding from the current two finger scanning. Naha will begin its 10-finger biometric collection on October 8. Osaka and Fukuoka will begin at later in 2007. This easy process still adds only 1 minute to each interview.

• Persons required to submit DS-157 and DS-158 (Supplemental Non-immigrant Visa Application Forms)
  (July 6, 2007)

  Effective July 9, 2007, there will be changes in submission requirements for Forms DS-157 or DS-158.

  For details, see here.

See also: visa news archives.