Visa Waiver | SEONewsWire.net

House Passes Short Term Continuing Resolution: Agreement on Omnibus Bill Close

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 01:33:17 +0000

On December 11, 2015, the House passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through December 16, 2015 averting a government shutdown and providing time to reach an agreement on the massive Omnibus bill before Congress recesses for the Christmas holiday. Among the provisions to be considered in the Omnibus bill are statutory changes to the Visa Waiver program which passed the House in HR 156, and several proposed changes to the EB-5 program.

HR 156 bars visa waiver country citizens from using the vis waiver program if they have traveled to Iraq or Syria within the last 5 years.

In the EB-5 area, there are 5 different, proposed legislative changes to the program which address many components of the EB-5 program, including increases in the minimum investment amount, making the program permanent, changing job creation methodology, changing TEA designations and definitions, and addressing means to reduce and identify fraud in Regional Centers and regional center projects.

Stay tuned for an update for news about Congressional decisions on these issues.

The post House Passes Short Term Continuing Resolution: Agreement on Omnibus Bill Close first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

U.S. to Increase Security for Visa Waiver Participants

admin — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 14:14:08 +0000

On August 6, 2015, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson announced plans to increase security for countries whose citizens can participate in the Visa Waiver program. The Visa Waiver program currently includes 38 countries. Citizens of those countries can apply for admission to the United States as a visitor without first obtaining a United States visitor visa, provided each person first registers online using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization or ESTA.

Citing a global threat environment as a reason to know more about those persons using the VW program, DHS announced three new security requirements: (1) VW Program travelers now must use e-passports; (2) DHS will use the INTERPOL Lost and Stolen Passport Database for VW travelers; and (3) DHS will seek to expand its use of U.S. air marshals on flights from VW countries to the United States.

DHS considers these changes as part of is commitment to do more to address a growing threat of foreign terrorists, without impeding international travel to the United States.

The post U.S. to Increase Security for Visa Waiver Participants first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

International Travelers Injected $14.4 Billion Into the U.S. Economy in March, 2013

admin — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:31:07 +0000

The U.S. Department of Commerce has reported that international travelers spent more than $14.4 billion on travel and tourism in the U.S. in just one month, March, 2013, which the Department reports is an increase of 3% over the prior year, and is part of the $43 billion spent during the first quarter of 2013. According to Department officials, international travel and tourism represents is the U.S.’s largest service export.

Travel and tourism supports almost 8 million U.S. jobs and recent increases in tourism account for strong job growth in the leisure and hospitality sector. The Administration has a strategy in place to increase travel and tourism to attract more than 100 million international tourists who may spent up to $250 billion per year and expand economic growth throughout the country. The Administration’s goal is to maintain and improve national security through better law enforcement cooperation in the Visa Waiver program, together with enhancements to visa and visitor processing, and processing at U.S. ports of entry while making the U.S. a destination of choice worldwide. The sheer size and significance of the travel and tourism sector of the U.S. economy and long term U.S. concerns regarding terrorism and national security underscore the difficulty in balancing these interests. But balancing them is what the Administration must do.

Rabinowitz & Rabinowitz, PC. is an immigration law firm representing businesses, families, and individuals. To learn more or to contact an attorney, click here to visit http://www.rabinowitzrabinowitz.com.

The post International Travelers Injected $14.4 Billion Into the U.S. Economy in March, 2013 first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.