On July 6, 2021, the Department of State announced that the validity period of NIEs is being extended to 12 months from the date of approval. The original validity period was only 30 days. Moreover, NIEs are no longer single-entry permissions to enter the U.S., but can be used for multiple entries. Travelers using their NIE, however, must use it for the same purpose under which they were granted. Even though this new guidance from the Department of State does not provide immediate release for travelers, it takes substantial pressure off for the U.S. Consulates making resources free for new applications and – hopefully – will lead to a reduction of Visa and NIE processing times.

For new applications, the existing regulations, last updated on May 27, still apply. Essentially, eligible are “those traveling to provide vital support or executive direction to critical infrastructure” or for “significant economic activity in the United States”. A more detailed overview of what is needed to support your NIE application successfully was outlined in our last newsletter on the matter on June 6, 2021.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Moritz Masberg (mmasberg@hr-ny.com).