The US Government will increase the fees for all passport services at the end of March. To help you beat the fee increase, G3 is offering a limited time discount on passport renewals . Click here for details on the passport special.


After the government fee increase goes into effect, Passport Renewals and New Passports for Adults, currently $135 for expedited processing, will cost $180. Additional Passport Pages, currently $60, will cost $142. If you are running low on blank visa pages in your passport, now is the time to send in your additional pages request ! Please note that embassies are only allowed to put visas on the pages marked "Visas;" blank pages or pages marked "Amendments" or "Endorsements" are for US Government use only.

Please contact G3 if you have any questions about passport processing.

March Embassy and Consulate Closures
Mar. 1: India Closed
Mar. 2: Myanmar and Libya Closed
Mar. 8: Russia Closed for International Women's Day. Other embassies may close for the holiday.
Mar. 12: Zambia Closed
Mar. 15: Belarus Closed

The following embassies are closed in honor of the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

Feb. 26 Update: Snow continues to fall in New York.  G3 expects package
deliveries to be delayed and many consulates to be closed today.

A strong nor'easter snowstorm will hit New York City on Feb. 25.
Consulates may close without warning, and there may be delays in the
delivery of FedEx packages.

Update, Feb. 12, 9:00 am:
Washington, DC is still feeling the effects of the largest recorded snowfall in the city. The Federal Government will reopen on Friday, Feb. 12 for the first time since last week.

The US Passport Office in DC will be open, but services will be limited due to a delayed opening time and staffing issues. Please note that all US Passport Offices will be closed on Monday for President's Day, and typically offer limited services immediately before a holiday. If you have an urgent passport job, you must call G3 to confirm service availability.

Many embassies may still be closed today, and those that are open may be short-staffed or swamped with a backlog of applications.

FedEx is still experiencing delays due to winter weather conditions.

Please contact G3 if you are concerned about your visa or passport request.


Update, Feb. 11, 9:00 am:
The Federal Government in Washington remains closed on Thursday, Feb. 11. The US Passport Office and most embassies are closed. G3's DC office is open, as it has been for the full duration of the snow emergency, but service availability will be limited due to embassy and passport office closures.

Dulles Airport has reopened this morning, which will allow FedEx to get planes in and out of the Washington area. Package delivery is still delayed by weather conditions across the East Coast and at FedEx's Memphis hub.

Please note that all US Passport Offices will be closed on Monday, Feb. 15 for President's Day. This will cause a slowdown in the fastest passport processing.

Please contact G3 if you are concerned about your visa or passport request.

Update, Feb. 10, 2:30 pm:
G3's New York office has closed to allow our staff to travel home safely. DC and all other offices remain open.

Update, Feb. 10, 9:30 am:
The National Weather Service is describing conditions in Washington, DC this morning as "extremely dangerous" and "life-threatening blizzard." Many of our DC staff members have been unable to come into the office because of the weather, but several staffers have made it in, and the DC and NYC offices are open. However, no visa or passport requests can be submitted or picked up, as all embassies, consulates and the US Passport Office are closed. Federal Express delivery service will also be extremely limited, if not completely unavailable, as Dulles airport is currently closed.

Please note that the Federal Government has been closed due to snow since Friday, Feb. 5, and is not expected to reopen on Thursday. Most embassies will close when the US government announces a closure, so very few embassies have been able to process visas this week. Our DC staff attempted to access embassies on Tuesday during the break between snowstorms, and found that only China, Russia, India, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria and Afghanistan were open.

The government closure has meant that the US Passport Office in Washington has not been operational since last Thursday, delaying all passport applications currently processing there. Additionally, the US Passport Offices will all be closed on Monday, Feb. 15 for President's Day, which will further delay operations. As many passport applications as possible have been sent to our offices in Miami and Houston for processing, but any jobs that were already submitted to the Passport Office in Washington have been unavoidably delayed.

FedEx, our main delivery service, has been crippled by the weather conditions on the East Coast and at their Memphis hub. On Friday, Monday and Tuesday, FedEx halted pick-up services in the DC area early in the afternoon, so our staff has driven to Dulles airport each evening to ensure that our FedEx shipments are put directly on the plane.

G3 continues to make every effort to ensure that our clients recieve their travel documents in time for their departures. If you are concerned about your visa or passport request, please call G3 for more information.

Update, Feb. 9:
The Federal Government in Washington, DC will not be open on Feb. 9, meaning that the US Passport Office in DC and nearly all embassies will be closed. G3's DC office is open, and will attempt to access the few embassies that open today. Available services will be extremely limited, and will likely become more limited as the next snowstorm arrives this afternoon.

Federal Express has announced that they are experiencing major service delays, impacting package delivery around the country.

Blizzard conditions are expected in Washington, New York and Chicago on Tuesday and Wednesday. Please call G3 if you have an urgent job, so that our staff can confirm which office is best able to assist you.

Update, Feb. 8, 9:30 am:
Washington, DC remains crippled by blizzard conditions. All government offices, including the US Passport Office, are closed, as are all embassies. G3's DC office is open, but many staff members have been unable to get to the office, as the roads are extremely unsafe and Metro train and bus service is unavailable. As of 9:30am, we do not know if FedEx will be able to deliver or pick up packages in the DC area today.

Another snowstorm is predicted to hit Washington within the next 48 hours.

Please contact G3 if you are planning to send in a visa or passport request, and our staff will be able to confirm which of our five offices will be best able to complete your job quickly.

Update, Feb. 5, 12:15 pm:
FedEx has announced that no pick-ups will be made after 12 noon. G3 has already shipped as many packages as possible today, but no further shipments will be possible until Monday.

Many embassies have closed without notice, including Ethiopia, Jordan and UAE. The Indian visa office has closed as of 12 noon.

To allow our staff members to travel home safely, our Washington, DC office will close at 2pm. Phone calls to the DC office will be automatically transferred to our other offices, which will maintain normal business hours.

Feb. 4:
A major snowstorm is predicted to hit Washington, DC on Friday, Feb. 5.
Many embassies may close. The US Passport Office will not issue
same-day passports on Feb. 5; please call G3 for instructions on where
to send your request if you require same-day passport service on Friday.

The
snowstorm may cause delays for FedEx and other delivery services. We
recommend that any packages sent to our Washington DC office be marked
for a morning delivery (such as FedEx Priority Overnight), as the
snowstorm is predicted to begin in the afternoon.

Brazilian consulates across the US are currently swamped with visa
applications from tourists wishing to visit Brazil for Carnival, which
has slowed down visa processing.

• Travelers who have previously held a different category of visa than the one they are currently requesting. For example, travelers who have previously held a business visa but now request a tourist visa, etc.
  
• Any traveler who has ever withdrawn a visa application from the Indian consulate for any reason.
  
• Any traveler who requests a special permit to travel to a restricted area. G3 has been advised that such travelers are better served to apply for the permit at a police station in India if they are traveling in a group of five or
  more.
  
• Flight crew. Flight crew should contact flightcrew@g3visas.com for specific advice on their application.

New visa fees for foreign visitors to the US are expected to go into effect on Feb. 9, 2010. Many countries may then raise the visa fees for US citizens to match the fees charged by the US.

Many nations base their visa fees for US citizens on a reciprocal basis, charging as much or more than the US would charge their citizens for a non-immigrant visa. Brazil, Russia and China are among the many nations who currently set their visa fees based on US visa fees. As the fee for US visas will soon rise by $9, we anticipate that in the coming months, many nations will increase their visa fees by $10 or more. Please check the visa interactive section of g3visas.com or call G3 when planning any trip to check the latest fees and requirements.

The State Department's press release on increased visa fees contains a complete list of the proposed changes to US visa fees.

An electrical fire in Rock Creek Park is causing gridlock throughout downtown Washington, DC this morning,
blocking access between G3's office and the embassies. Please contact G3 if you are concerned about how this may impact your visa or passport processing.

G3 Office Holiday Closures
Dec. 24: G3 Houston closed, other G3 offices open but will close early at the manager's discretion
Dec. 25: All G3 offices closed
Dec. 31: G3 Houston closed, other G3 offices open but may close early at the manager's discretion
Jan. 1: All G3 offices closed

U.S. Passport Office Closures
Dec. 25: All U.S. Passport Offices closed
Jan. 1: All U.S. Passport Offices closed
Please note: All U.S. Passport Offices will be working in a limited capacity during the two week holiday period from Dec.21 - Jan. 4. Please call G3 before sending in any urgent passport service requests. Normal passport processing will resume on Jan. 5.

Delivery Service (FedEx, UPS) Closures
Dec. 25: Delivery services closed. Overnight packages sent to G3 on Dec. 24 will arrive no earlier than Monday, Dec. 28.
Jan. 1: Delivery services closed. Overnight packages sent to G3 on Dec. 31 will arrive no earlier than Monday, Jan. 4.
Please note: G3 offices are unable to accept Saturday Delivery packages.

Embassy and Consulate Closures
Dec. 24: All Chicago Consulates except China closed, many embassies and consulates in other cities closed
Dec. 25: All Embassies and Consulates closed
Jan. 1: All Embassies and Consulates closed
Please see the "Upcoming Embassy Closures" news item for a complete listing of scheduled closures.

Due to limited passport processing capacity at US Passport Offices during the holidays,
Emergency Passport Processing procedures have been implemented.
Travelers requiring 48 Hour or Less processing must call G3 to reserve a processing
slot and confirm requirements.

Normal passport processing will resume on January 4, 2010.

Mon., Dec. 21: All G3 Offices are open, but blizzard conditions in DC and NYC will result in many embassy and consulate closures. The federal government in DC, including the US Passport Office, is closed. FedEx and other deliveries to our DC and NYC offices are likely to be delayed by 24 hours or more.

Our offices in DC and NYC are open, but will close early to allow our staff to travel home safely, and will be functioning at a limited capacity due to the many embassy and government closures. Our offices in Chicago, Houston and Miami are unaffected, and are able to assist all G3 clients by phone.

Please contact G3 if you are concerned about the status of your visa or passport.

UPDATE: As of November 30, 6 day processing of Multiple Entry Business Invitations has not yet become available. The Ministry of Foriegn Affairs has not made a formal announcement, but our sources suggest that the 6 day processing service will not be restored until mid-January, after the Russian Orthodox holidays.

11 business day processing is still available. We will update when normal service resumes.

Until Nov. 27, 6 day processing of Russian Multiple Entry Business Invitations is temporarily unavailable. This is due to the relocation of the Foriegn Ministry Office in Russia responsible for issuing these invitations. 11 day processing is still available during this time.

Processing times for Single or Double Entry Business Invitations have not been affected.

If you have any questions about Russian Business Invitations, please call G3 or email Russia@g3visas.com.

Dec. 4:  G3's Houston office has closed early due to a severe
snowstorm.  Please contact G3 Headquarters at 888.883.8472 or
info@g3visas.com if you require assistance.

The Consulates General of Brazil in New York and Chicago have been experiencing temporary system outages that have disrupted their ability to print visas.  Visa applications that are currently in process at these consulates may be delayed by several days due to the malfunctions.

In Washington and Chicago, visa processing times have been extended.  This is not related to the system malfunctions but is a change in consulate policy.  The fastest processing time in Chicago is now 10 business days; in Washington, the fastest processing is now 15 business days.

G3 regrets any delays caused by the consulates, and we continue to work with the consulates to ensure the fastest possible visa processing for our clients.

Thanksgiving Day, November 26:
All G3 Offices will be closed.
All US Passport Offices will be closed.
All Embassies and Consulates will be closed.
All Delivery Services (FedEx, UPS, US Postal Service) will not be delivering packages. Overnight packages shipped on November 25 will not be delivered until Friday, November 27.

Friday, November 27:
G3's Houston and New York City Offices will be closed; all other offices will be open. Offices may close early at the manager's discretion.
US Passport Offices will be open, but will have limited passport processing available.
Almost all Embassies and Consulates will be closed. At this point, only the consulates of Russia have announced they will be open.
Delivery Services (FedEx, UPS, US Postal Service) will be open and delivering packages as normal.

If you have any concerns about visa or passport processing during the week of Thanksgiving, please contact G3.

G3 is currently featured in the LA Times
for our expertise in expedited passport renewals. LA Times readers are
eligible for a special discount on 10 business day passport renewals...
click here to get started.

The following will be closed for Veteran's Day on Wednesday, November 11:

All US Passport Offices

Consulates of:
Angola
Cambodia
China
Ethiopia
Ghana
Indonesia
Kenya
Madagascar
Nepal
Nigeria
Pakistan
Philippines
Qatar
Tanzania
Thailand
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe

This list will be updated as more embassies announce their closure schedules.

On November 1, our Houston office will move to a new location in the Galleria area:


2425 West Loop South, Suite 200

Houston, TX 77027

Phone Numbers remain the same:
Toll Free 866.945.8472
Local 713.574.1731

We look forward to serving your needs from our new office.

On Columbus Day (Monday, Oct. 12) all G3 offices will be open, but US Passport Offices and many consulates will be closed, including Brazil and China.

The following countries will close their embassies and consulates for Columbus Day:
Zimbabwe

From Oct. 1-6, the Embassy and Consulates of China will be closed for varying periods in honor of the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China.

WASHINGTON, DC: Embassy closed Thursday and Friday, Oct. 1-2

CHICAGO: Consulate closed Thursday through Monday, Oct. 1-5

HOUSTON: Consulate closed Thursday through Monday, Oct. 1-5

NEW YORK CITY: Consulate closed Thursday through Tuesday, Oct. 1-6

Days that the consulate is closed will not count as processing days. Please contact G3 if you are concerned about the processing of your Chinese visa.

Effective immediately, the Embassyl of Brazil in Washington, DC requires all visa applications to be filled out online at https://scedv.serpro.gov.br . Select the "Visa Request" link to begin your application.

Please contact G3 if you have any questions about this change of procedure.

As of September 1, our New York office will be located at:

60 East 42nd St
Room 2222
New York, NY 10165

Due to the observation of Ramadan, the Saudi Embassy is currently
taking longer than normal to process visas.  Visas currently take at
least 3 days to process.  Ramadan will continue until September 20.

Effective immediately, the Consulate General of Brazil in New York requires all visa applications to be filled out online at https://scedv.serpro.gov.br . Select the "Visa Request" link to begin your application.

While the Consulate adjusts to the new application, the fastest processing speed is not available. The fastest processing currently available in New York is 4 business days.

Please contact our New York office if you have any questions about this change of procedure.

BRAZIL: Effective immediately, the Consulate General of Brazil in Miami is requiring the visa application to be filled out online. Handwritten applications are no longer accepted. For complete instructions, please see www.g3visa.com/visa_code/pdf/Brazil_Visa_Info_Miami(FL,PR,USVI).pdf.

RUSSIA: The Embassy in Russia in Washington, DC no longer accepts handwritten applications.  For the convenience of our clients, G3 provides fillable PDF versions of the application that can be typed in on the screen and printed out.  Please note that all applications must be signed.

As of August 1, France no longer requires flight crew visas of US citizens.  Schengen (French)
visas will no longer be issued to or required of US crew traveling into and out
of France and French Overseas Territories.

Effective July 15, citizens of Mexico now require visas to enter Canada. This does not apply to Mexican citizens who are permanent residents of USA. Citizens of any nation who hold a US Alien Resident Card ("green card") do not require visas to enter Canada.

Please note that all travelers, including US citizens, must have a valid passport in order to enter Canada. US permanent residents must carry both their valid passport and their valid, original Alien Resident Card when entering Canada.

G3 can assist with visas to Canada. Click here for complete details.

The Russian Embassy has issued a new visa application for US citizens and has announced that starting July 1, all visa requests must include the new application. This new application is available on our website by going through our Visa Services section or by downloading our Russian visa information packet .

All Chinese consulates in the US have returned to normal processing as of June 9.  The additional "Declaration Form" is no longer required, and same day and 24 hour visa processing is once again available.

Please contact G3 if you have any questions regarding Chinese visa processing.

Starting Monday, June 1, all US citizens must show a valid US passport, passport card, enhanced driver's license or "Trusted Traveler" card for all travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Travel to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands does not require a passport, as they are both US territories.

G3 is able to assist with expedited passport requests through our offices in Washington, Chicago and Miami.

Effective immediately, the Embassy of Pakistan now requires all visa
applicants to submit a letter from their doctor stating that the
applicant is not infected with H1N1 influenza and has had an influenza
vaccine.

The Embassy of Cameroon has announced an increase in fees for visas and temporary gun permits.  Click here for the latest visa instructions and fees.

May 8: Embassy of China in Washington closed; other Chinese consulates open.

May 11: Russian Embassy and Consulates closed.

May 4: In response to the global H1N1 flu pandemic, the Chinese Embassy in Washington and the Chinese Consulate in New York have temporarily suspended expedited visa processing. The fastest visa processing currently available in Washington or New York is six business days, and travelers are additionally required to complete a declaration form detailing their recent travel. G3 has prepared a fillable PDF of the declaration form; click here to download a copy. The declaration form has also been added to G3's Visa Information for China visa processing in Washington and New York:
China Visa Information, Washington
China Visa Information, New York

As of May 5, the Consulates in Chicago and Houston have also suspended expedited processing and are requiring the declaration form.

Additionally, the Chinese government is enforcing a 7 day quarantine period or deportation on any traveler to China who fits into any of the following categories:
- Mexican passport holders, regardless of country of residence
- all passengers arriving from Mexico
- any traveler who has visited Mexico within the last two weeks.

This information will be updated as other Chinese consulates announce their response to the H1N1 pandemic. Please check back for further information, or contact a G3 office if you are concerned about your Chinese visa processing.

May 1: The Saudi Consulate General in New York has announced an increase in visa fees, effective immediately. 

All Russian consulates in the US have temporarily suspended same day and 24 hour visa processing services.  The fastest processing currently available is 3 business days. G3 has been advised that the consulates may choose not to resume same day and 24 hour processing; please look for updates in the next 3-4 weeks.

The Russian Embassy in Washington, DC announced a new schedule of visa fees on April 9, effective immediately. If you are planning a trip to Russia, please contact G3 to obtain the most current fees and instructions.

April 7, 2009: The Embassy of France in Washington, DC has reduced the number of flight crew visas we can submit each day. This reduction has caused a backlog of requests and has slowed processing times.

Currently, visa requests are taking approximately 10 business days. If you need faster service, please call our Washington DC office for fees and scheduling. These requests must be secured with a credit card, as G3 processing fees will be charged for any request cancelled within 48
hours of scheduled request.

Embassies Closed on Friday, April 10
Argentina (also closed Thursday, April 9)
Australia
Brazil
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Ghana
Indonesia (also closed Thursday, April 9)
Japan
Kenya
Liberia
Mali
Mozambique
Papua New Guinea (also closed Thursday, April 9)
Philippines
South Africa
Tanzania
Venezuela (also closed Thursday, April 9)
Zimbabwe

Embassies Closed on Monday, April 13
Australia
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Central African Republic
France
Ghana
India
Indonesia
Japan
Kenya
Mali
Mozambique
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Philippines
South Africa
Tanzania
Thailand
Zimbabwe

This listing will be updated as more embassies announce their closure schedules.

March 20: The U.S. Passport Office in Miami has announced that all applicants for new adult passports, minor passports, or replacement of lost, stolen or mutilated passports must now provide a photocopy of their Social Security card.

The photocopy of the Social Security card should be presented along with the application and other required documents when the applicant appears in front of the Passport Acceptance Agent, and should be included inside the sealed envelope.

Travelers requiring passport renewals, additional pages, second valid passports or reissuance of a limited-validity or incorrect passport are exempt from this requirement and will not need to provide a copy of their Social Security card.

Complete instructions and requirements for all passport services are available on G3's Passport Services page .

March 19: The Embassy of Turkey in Washington, DC has alerted G3 that
visa processing is currently taking 2-3 days longer than normal, due to
a flood of visa applications in anticipation of President Obama's
upcoming trip to Turkey.

The US Passport Office in Washington, DC is continuing to struggle with their computer system upgrades, and is currently not offering same day service. Same day service is still available in Miami and Chicago. If you require passport service and will depart within three business days, please call G3's Passport Department at 800.644.1642 for instructions.

Travelers to South Africa must ensure that their passports have two blank visa pages side-by-side, as South African immigration services are currently enforcing this rule. If your valid US passport is running out of blank pages, G3 can have pages added to your passport in as little as 24 hours.

Visas to Sudan can now be processed through G3's Washington, DC
Headquarters.  Please email info@g3visas.com for details and
requirements.

As of 1pm, the Washington, DC Passport office has announced that they are continuing to have difficulties with their systems and are processing passports only on a limited basis.

Passport processing in other cities is unaffected. We recommend that our clients send their passport requests directly to our Miami office for processing.

Please contact G3 if you are concerned about your passport processing or if you have an urgent passport request.

The Russian Government has relaxed restrictions on visa processing for Canadian citizens as of February 20.  The processing times for Canadian citizens are now the same as for US citizens.  Expedited processing, including same-day services, are now available.

As of noon on February 26, the US Passport Office in Washington, DC has announced that their systems are completely down. No passport requests can be processed in Washington until their systems have been restored. Technicians are working now, and we anticipate that the Passport Office will return to full functionality shortly.

Passport processing in other cities is unaffected.

Please contact G3 if you are concerned about your passport application.

Effective February 15, Cote d'Ivoire will require visas of all US citizens. Visas must be acquired in advance and are not available on arrival. Please contact G3 or see our visa section for information on acquiring a Cote d'Ivoire visa.

As of Monday, February 2, G3's Chicago office will be located at:
11 East Adams
Suite 1605
Chicago, IL 60603

Any overnight packages shipped on or after January 30 should be sent to this address.

All phone numbers will remain the same.

Our Chicago team looks forward to continuing to assist you from their new office.

The Embassy of Vietnam has announced that 1 year multiple entry visas
are no longer available, effective immediately.  Multiple entry visas
valid for up to six months are still available.

Please contact G3 Visas & Passports if you have any concerns.

The following embassies have announced that they will have closures in honor of Lunar New Year:

China - closed January 26-27 in DC, January 26-28 in Chicago and New York
Vietnam - closed January 26-28

This list will be updated as more embassies announce their closure schedules. 

On January 20, there will be extensive road closures in Washington DC due to inaugural events, including the closure of all bridges between Virginia and Washington DC.  Almost all the embassies and the US Passport Office in Washington will be closed for the Inauguration. We have therefore decided to close the Washington office on January 20. Our offices in Chicago, Houston, Miami and New York will be open and processing visa and passport requests as normal.

G3's Washington office will be able to receive packages on January 20, but deliveries from all services will likely be impacted. Delays of up to 24 hours are anticipated.

Normal processing will resume on Wednesday, January 21. Please contact G3 if you are concerned about the processing of your visa or passport request.

As Monday, January 19 is a federal holiday, the majority of embassies and consulates will be closed.

The following embassies are among the many in Washington that will be closed on both January 19 and 20:
Afghanistan
China
Egypt
Ethiopia
France
Indonesia
Jordan
Kenya
Turkey
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe

This listing will be updated as more embassies announce their closure schedules.

US Passport Agencies will all be closed on January 19, and the Passport Agency in Washington will also be closed on January 20 for the Inauguration. Passport Agencies in other cities, such as Chicago and Miami, will be open on January 20.

Beginning January 1, US citizens traveling to Egypt for business will
no longer be allowed to acquire visas on arrival. Business visas to
Egypt must be acquired in advance. Tourist visas for US citizens will
still be available upon arrival in Egypt.

Please contact G3 Visas for more information if you have concerns about travel to Egypt.

January Embassy and Consulate Closures
Jan. 1: New Year's Day: all embassies, consulates, US Passport Offices and G3 offices will be closed.
Jan. 1-8: Russia closed

Gabon Embassy has been closed since mid-September due to a fire
at the embassy. Until the embassy reopens, visa processing is
extremely limited. Please contact G3 for further information if you
require a visa to Gabon.

 

 

The following embassies and consulates will be closed on both January 1 and 2 in observance of the New Years holiday. This list will be updated as more embassies announce their closure schedules.

Afghanistan (also closed Dec 31)
Belarus
Cambodia (closed Dec 31 and Jan 1, open Jan 2)
Cameroon
Ghana
Japan (closed Dec 29 - Jan 4)
Kenya
Liberia
Mali
Miger
Nigeria
Saudi Arabia
Thailand (closed Dec 31 and Jan 1, open Jan 2)
Uganda
Venezuela (also closed Dec 31)
Zambia
Zimbabwe

December 29 - All G3 offices will maintain normal office hours.

December 30 - All G3 offices will maintain normal office hours.

December 31 - G3 offices will close early due to multiple embassy/consulate closings.

January 1 - All G3 offices will be closed.  Please note that Federal Express and other delivery services will also be closed for the New Year's Day holiday and no packages will be delivered.  Overnight packages shipped on Wednesday, December 31 will be delivered on January 2.

January 2 - G3 offices will close early due to multiple embassy/consulate closings.

Please contact G3 if you have any concerns about visa or passport processing this week.

We at G3 wish you and yours a happy and prosperous new year.

Due to winter weather and a high volume of deliveries, Federal Express
is currently experiencing serious delays in  delivering packages
nationwide.  This will effect both packages coming in to G3 offices and
packages we have sent to our clients for delivery today.  We have been told to expect a 4 hour delay in deliveries in the Washington, DC area.

You may track your packages at www.fedex.com or call FedEx at 800-463-3339.  If you have concerns about how these delays will impact your visa processing, please contact G3.

Both the Russian Embassy and consulates and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow
will be closed from January 1-10, 2009 and will reopen Monday, January
12.

The closure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs means that no business invitations will be processed during that period.   G3 Visas urges all travelers who plan to Russia in January or early February to begin their visa processing immediately.  Please contact G3 Visas for more information if you are concerned about processing Russian visas.

Most embassies and consulates will be closed on December 25, and many will be closed on December 26 as well.

G3 Visas & Passports will be closed on December 25, as will Federal
Express and other delivery services.

The following embassies and consulates will be closed on December 26:

Angola - closed December 22 to January 6
Belarus
Belgium
Benin
Brazil
Canada
China
Egypt
France
Ghana
India
Kenya
Liberia
Mali
Nepal
Nigeria
Philippines - also closed December 29 to January 1
Sweden
Saudi Arabia
Tanzania
Thailand
Venezuela
Vietnam
Uganda - closed December 24, 25, 26
Zambia
Zimbabwe


This list will be updated as more embassies announce their holiday schedules. If you are concerned about how these closures will affect your visa processing, please contact G3 for more information.

The Embassy of South Korea announced today that visas are no longer required for US citizens who will spend less than 90 days in South Korea. Visa requirements for non-US citizens have not changed. Please contact G3 if you have any questions.

The Embassy of China in Washington, DC will be closed on Friday, November 14 for a special event.  Please contact G3 Visas if you are concerned about how this embassy closure will affect your visa processing.

Indian visa offices have announced that they will no longer accept handwritten or PDF visa applications; travelers must fill out the application online at www.indian-visa.com/expedite/application/form, print it out and sign it before sending the application in to G3 Visas for processing.

Although the application is filled in online, the visa is not granted online. The printed and signed application must be sent to G3 Visas along with the passport and supporting documentation for our Embassy Liaisons to hand-carry into the Indian visa office for processing.

Please contact G3 Visas if you have any questions or difficulties with the online application.

Street closures, congestion and added security measures due to
political rallies in downtown Chicago may impact visa and passport
processing, November 3-5.  We will update with consulate closings and other information as it becomes available.

The Russian Embassy in Washington and all Russian Consulates in the US will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, November 3 and 4, in honor of National Unity Day.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Russia will also be closed during this time, which will slow down processing of business invitations.  Please plan accordingly, and contact G3 Visas & Passports if you have any concerns or questions.

G3 Visas & Passports is now on Twitter! You can get the latest news on visa regulation changes, embassy closures and
more, instantly delivered via text message, IM, or RSS feed. Visit our Twitter page at twitter.com/G3Visas to sign up to follow us on Twitter, and you'll never miss an important update again.

All Indian Consulates in the US will be closed for Diwali on October 28.

US Passport Offices Closed on Columbus Day, October 13

The Embassy of Cambodia will be closed on the following days:
September 24, 2008 for Constitution Day
September 30, 2008 for Pchum Ben Day

The Embassy and Consulates will be closed for their National Holiday on Wednesday October 1, 2008, so please plan accordingly.

All Business visas will require an invitation and a US Business letter in order to be processed.  Both the US Company Letter and Sponsor letter from India must state the requested duration of the visa in the letters (1 year, 5 year, 10 years).  Please note if the passport is not valid for that period of time they may not issue the visa for that duration.

The Embassy of India has advised of the new visa fees for 2008. Please see the visa section of our website for the most current information.

The Embassy of Cape Verde is now offering Single entry and multiple entry visas, please see our Visa Services section for information on costs and processing times.

Brazil is implementing a new digital visa system and they are increasing the consular fees for all visa types by $10.00.

Please see the Visa Services section of our website for information on obtaining one year multiple entry visas for Vietnam.

Both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Interior and All Embassies and Consulates will be closed on Thursday June 12 and Friday June 13, 2008 for their national holiday "Day of Russia"

Please plan your visa invitation and visa processing accordingly.

The Embassy of Russia has just advised that the processing time for ALL Canadian National visa requests to Russia will be 15 business days, there will be no expediting of their visa requests until further notice.

The Embassy of India is closed on Tuesday May 20, 2008
The Embassy of Indonesia is closed on Tuesday May 20, 2008

All G3 Visas & Passports office will be closed on Monday May 26, 2008 for the Memorial Day Holiday

All US Government offices and Embassies/Consulates will also be closed.

The Embassy and Consulates will be closed for holidays

The following Emgassies will be closed on Friday May 9, 2008

Belarus
Kazakhstan
Russia
Uzbekistan

The US Embassy in Belarus has removed all of their diplomatic staff, the US Department of State is considering closing the Embassy of Belarus and Consulate in NYC so visa issuance for Belarus maybe severely impacted.

Non US Nationals are now being issued a maximum of 2 (Double) entry visas for valid for between 1 and 6 months (at the consular discretion), they will not be issuing multiple entry visas for Non US nationals until further notice.

All Tourist visas will only be issued for single or double entry visas, Multiple entry visas have been suspended.

All Tourist visa applicants will HAVE to submit confirmed flight itineraries and hotel reservations

All Business visa applicants require an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Local Provincial Government, or "Authorised Chinese Unit"

The Consulate General in Chicago is not issuing any RUSH visas, only 5 working day service is available, please send rush requests to our NYC or DC office for processing.

Currently the following countries Embassies and Consulates will be closed, this is not a complete list:
Brazil
Burkino Faso
Cambodia
China
Democratic Republic of Congo
Ecuador
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea
Indonesia
Jordan
Laos
Kazkhstan also closed on April 30, 2008
Kenya
Kyrgyz Republic also closed on May 2, 2008
Mali
Niger
Nigeria
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Russia also closed on May 2, 2008
Tanzania
Uganda
Ukraine also closed April 28, 29, 30 and May 2, 2008
Vietnam also closed on April 30, 2008
Zambia
Zimbabwe

They will be closed for the water festival

The Embassy will be closed for a holiday

The Embassy of Thailand will be closed on the following days:
Monday April 7, 2008
Monday April 14, 2008

The Embassy will not be processing any visas until April 2, 2008.

Currently ONLY commerical and cargo flight crew members are able to receive the one/two year "C" flight crew visas due to several issues in China.

Due to the new government in Pakistan, visas are now taking a MINIMUM of 3 business days and can be longer as most applications are be reviewed in Pakistan before authorization for the visa is given.  Please be sure you business letter is very specfic and provides good detail about the reason for your visit, who you will be visiting with and where you will be staying.  A letter of invitation is highly recommended to expedite the visa process.

The US Embassy in Belarus has reduced its staff toe the same level as the Embassy of Belarus in Washington DC and suspended US Visa processing.  We are anticipating the possibility that visas to Belarus may be delayed or suspended in reciprocity. 

Please see the following link for the CNN article.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/03/25/belarus.embassy/index.html

Most Embassies and Consulates will be closed on Friday for Good Friday, a number will also be closed on Monday for Easter Monday.  G3 Visas & Passports will be open on both days.

For a National Holiday

The Embassy will be closed for visa processing

The Embassy of China will be closed from February 7 to 8, 2008
The Embassy of Vietnam will be closed from February 6 to 11, 2008

The United States has increased the visa fee for people applying for US Visas to $131.00 effective January 2, 2008.  Many Countries will be increasing their consular fees in reciprocity.

The following countries have already announced new consular fees:
Azerbaijan: $131.00
Brazil Tourist Visas $140.00 Business Visas $200.00
Taiwan $131.00
Turkey $37.00 for Single Entry and $123.00 for Multiple Entry
Russia $131.00
Madagascar $120.00
Bolivia Business Visas $85.00 Tourist Visas $100.00
Togo $131.00
Please see the visa section of our website for addtional information

The Department of State has increased the fees to obtain a US Passport, please see the passport section for more information. 

Please see the visa section of our website for the new fee schedules.

All US Government offices will be closed for the Martin Luther King Holiday
Most Embassies and Consulates will be closed
G3 Visas & Passports will be open until 1:00 pm.  All work received on this day will be processed on the 22nd of January 2008.
China Closed
Vietnam Closed

They will reopen on the 22nd of January 2008

The Embassy of Russia will be closed December 31, 2007 until January 8, 2008 for National Holidays.

The Embassy of Uganda will be closed from December 21, 2007 to Jan 2, 2008.

All US Passport Offices will be closed on December 24 and 25, 2007, there will be limited processing from December 20 to Jan 2, 2008.

The Embassy of Zimbabwe will be closed on December 24, 25 and 26th 2007

The Consulates and Embassy will be closed on Dec. 24, 25 and Dec 31, Jan 1, 2008

The Embassy of Mozambique will be closed from December 21, 2007 to January 2, 2008

The Embassy of Uganda will be closed from December 21, 2007 to January 2, 2008

Many Embassies and Consulates of Muslim countries will be closed for some portion of 20 Dec 07 to 2 Jan 08.

The Consulate will be closed on the following days:
December 24 and 25th 2007
December 31 and Jan 1, 2008

The Embassy f Angola will be closed on the following days:
December 24 and 25, 2007
January 1, 2008

The Embassy of Afghanistan will be closed on December 19, 20, 21, 24, 25 and 31.  The Embassy will also be closed on Jan 1, 2008.

The Embassy of Bahrain will be closed on the following days in December:
December 20 to 25, 2007
January 1, 2008

The Embassy of Saudi Arabia will be closed on the following days:
December 19 to 26, 2007
December 31, 2007
Jan 1, 2008

Embassy of Cambodia Closed December 10, 2007

The Embassy will be closed on December 19, 20 and 21

The visas for Bolivia for any purpose must be issued in the United States prior to arrival in Bolivia.

The Embassy will be closed on the following days in December
Dec. 5 for the King's Birthday
Dec. 10 for Constitution Day
Dec. 25 for Christmas Day
Dec. 31 for New Year's Eve
Jan. 1 for New Year's Day

The Embassy will be closed on Monday December 3, 2007

This letter from Passport Services advises the applicant to turn in his passport immediately to be cancelled, this letter is an error, if the applicant has correctly applied for and received a Second Valid US Passport (with a 2 year validity) then both passports are valid.  We are asking the Dept of State to send out a letter advising this is an error as soon as possible.  We will update this news item when additional steps have been taken by Passport Services.

If you have 2 passports that each of a 10 year validity then you must return one to be cancelled by the Washington Passport Agency, please contact us for assistance.

Passport Services is recommending that you return their letter with the expriation dates of both of your passports in the self addressed and stamped envelope.

For the Veterans Day Holiday

The New York Consulate will be closed on Friday.

The Chicago Consulate will be closed

The Embassy will be closed for a National holiday.

G3 Visas & Passports will be open until 1:00 on Veterans Day

They will be closed for a National Holiday.

The Embassy of Thailand will be closed for a national holiday.

All US Government offices and Embassies/Consulates will be closed on Thursday.  Additionally most will be closed on Friday as well.

End of Ramadan Ocotober 11, 12 and 15.

The Consulates will be closed on Tuesday October 2, 2007 for Gandhi's Birthday.

The Embassy of Indian and Consulates in the US have increased their Consular fees by $13.00

All US Government Offices as well as most Embassies and Consulates will be closed for the Columbus Day holiday.

The Consulate will be closed on the following days:
Monday to Wednesday October 1 to 3, 2007 for China's National Day
Thursday and Friday November 22 and 23, 2007 for US Thanksgiving
Tuesday December 25, 2007 for US Christmas

We have been notified the Embassy will be closed on Monday September 24, 2007

The Embassy will be closed on Monday October 1, 2007 for their  National Holiday
The Embassy will be closed on Monday October 8, 2007 for the US Columbus Day Holiday

The Embassy of Tanzania has increased its consular fees for US Citizens in response to the fees that the US Embassy in Tanzania is charging.

Ramadan Holiday is in effect during the month of September.

With the new visa application, the old applications will no longer be accepted.

Consular fees for single and double entry visas have increased

All passport applications now need to be completed at the following
website pptform2.state.gov and you must have a 2D barcode on
the actual passport application DS 82 and DS11

Multiple Entry Tourist Visas for China are now available

As of July 2007 the Government of Uganda has increased their consular fees.

French Crew Visas are processing in 10 days and RUSH service (less than 5 days) is available.

BRAZIL VISAS- Please not the consular office determines the length and
validity of visas.  Therefore G3 Visas and Passports cannot guarantee
any long term visas will be issued.

Kazkhstan is REQUIRING Visas before arrival of business
Flight/Crew/Tourist/Transit, please see the Visa Interactive section
for details.