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U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) describing the respective roles and responsibilities of the Departments of State (DOS) and Homeland Security (DHS) for visa adjudication and issuance. Under the agreement, which became effective on September 30, 2003, the DOS will continue to manage the visa process and U.S. foreign policy. The DHS will establish and review visa policy and ensure that security requirements are fully reflected in the visa process, according to a DHS statement released on September 29, 2003.
ADOS Postpones Machine-Readable Passport Requirement for Certain VWP Participants (10/6/03)
The Secretary of State has postponed until October 26, 2004, the date by which Visa Waiver Program (VWP) travelers from 21 countries must present a machine-readable passport at a U.S. port of entry to be admitted without a visa, according to a September 24, 2003, press statement from the Department of State (DOS). The countries for which the postponement has been granted include: Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
No major updates for September 2003
Arthur C. Helton Killed in Baghdad (8/22/03)
The refugee advocacy, human rights, and immigration law communities were shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Arthur Cleveland Helton, 54, who was killed on August 19, 2003, in the United Nations (U.N.) headquarters truck bombing in Baghdad, Iraq, along with at least 20 others. Mr. Helton, an immigration lawyer based in New York, served as Program Director of Peace and Conflict and Senior Fellow for Refugee Studies and Preventive Action for the Council on Foreign Relations. He was a leading adviser to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. At the time, he was meeting with the U.N.'s special envoy to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, who was also killed. Gil Loescher, a specialist and author on refugee protection and humanitarian response who was also present at the meeting, was reportedly in critical condition.
State Dept. Releases DV2005 Instructions: Electronic Filing, Digital Photos Required (8/22/03)
On August 19, 2003, the Bureau of Consular Affairs released detailed instructions for the Diversity Visa (DV) 2005 program. The biggest change is that entries must be submitted electronically; paper entries will no longer be accepted and there are new digital photo requirements. The signature requirement on the DV entry has been eliminated. The other major change from last year is that natives of Russia will not be eligible to apply for a diversity visa. The registration period is November 1, 2003, to December 30, 2003. Applicants will be selected at random by computer, and those selected will be notified by mail between May and July 2004. DV2005 visas will be issued between October 1, 2004 and September 30, 2005.