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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
• Please be advised that China continues to tighten its visa
policy in advance of the Beijing Olympic Games. In many cases, Chinese
Consulates are requiring additional back-up documentation such as proof of
hotel stay, flight itineraries, proof of previous visa, host business or
Foreign Ministry invitation letters from China, and certificates of
financial guarantee. These requirements are changing almost daily and are not
uniform from city to city. These changes are also being immediately
implemented without advance notice or grace period, so that items already
in progress may be affected. In some cases; we are seeing that China may
deny visa requests to certain foreign nationals residing in the U.S., and
will refer the individual to their home country for application. Please
rest assured that CIBT is working diligently to understand and implement
these new requirements. We are updating our systems with this new information
as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, we recommend that travelers contact CIBT
(www.cibt.com) for the latest information
prior to submitting documents for processing.
• Many consulates will be closed for the upcoming May 1st
holiday.
• Bolivia now requires travelers to have a valid yellow fever
vaccination certificate.
• Cambodia has
increased visa fees April 01, 2008 as follows: Tourist visa: $30.00,
Business visa: $ $35.00.
• India will
no longer issue 5 year visa to U.S. citizens. U.S. passport holders may
only request visas for 6 months, 1 year, or 10 year visas (a 10 year visa
request requires a business invitation letter). All U.S. passport holders
who apply for a 5 year visa will have their applications rejected by the
consulate. The Indian consulate will no longer automatically convert 5 year
request to a 10 year request.
• China Group
Travel: CIBT anticipates that many of our clients will be sending
groups of employees to China to attend events related to the summer
Olympics. CIBT can help your organization create a program with customized
visa "kits" for groups of 20 or more employees who are traveling
to China at the same time. If you are interested in learning more about
this program, please contact Steven Diehl (CIBT Business Development) at: steven.diehl@cibt.com.
• Department of Homeland Security delays border crossing rules.
Those U.S. citizens
returning to the U.S. by land and sea will not have to present a passport
until June 1, 2009, according to the U.S. DHS and the State Department. The
WHTI land and sea final rule and specific information on documentation
requirements may be obtained at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/.
For general information on the WHTI or other travel-related programs, visit
www.dhs.gov or www.travel.state.gov or www.cibt.com.
• Effective
December 3, 2007, The United Kingdom introduced a biometric visa process.
Travelers will need to complete applications online. CIBT will continue to
assist with securing the visa. Please contact CIBT for additional
information. http://www.britainusa.com/visas/articles_show_nt1.asp?i=65024&a=46974&L1=41000
• CIBT offices are not open on weekends and cannot accept
weekend deliveries.
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