HC - Investor visas for Mexicans shortened. Change to only one year comes as a big surprise.

From my archive of press clippings:

Houston Chronicle

Investor visas for Mexicans shortened

Change to only one year comes as a big surprise


By DAVID HENDRICKS

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

April 8, 2010, 9:41PM


See a list of U.S. visas' validity terms for Mexicans: www.travel.state.gov/visa


The State Department has quietly changed its policy on many of its visas for Mexicans, reducing the amount of time those visas are valid from the three to five years that had been common to one year.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"The changes would apply mostly to visas for Mexicans who own, or want to own, businesses and houses here and who do not intend to immigrate."

"Mexicans in the United States on E-1 and E-2 visas, which require putting their investment money at risk in U.S. businesses, will have to prove each year that their businesses are viable, said immigration lawyer John Meyer, partner in the Houston-based FosterQuan firm that operates a San Antonio office.

The change applies both to Mexicans seeking to come to the U.S. and to Mexicans already in the U.S. and seeking visa renewals."

&

"The State Department said the policy was changed to conform to the reciprocity agreement it has with Mexico. For years, Mexico's work visas for U.S. citizens were good for one year.

When Mexico recently decided to raise its visa fees for U.S. citizens, the U.S. State Department decided to remove the multi-year option from the visas it gives to Mexicans, a spokesman said."



dhendricks@express-news.net