The U.S. State Department has extended the validity of B-1, B-2 and B-1/B-2 visas to ten years for Saudi nationals.

Key Points:

  • As of Aug. 1, Saudi nationals traveling to the U.S. for business or tourism are eligible for B-1, B-2 and B-1/B-2 visas valid for ten years instead of five years.
  • The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh said, “Extending the term of the U.S. visa for Saudi nationals is one of the most tangible ways to deepen people-to-people ties and increase mutual understanding between our two countries.”
  • Individuals can view the State Department’s reciprocity schedule for Saudi Arabia here for more information regarding reciprocity fees, number of entries and validity periods for U.S. visas.

BAL Analysis: The change will facilitate business travel and reduce the inconvenience of having to apply for a visa more frequently. It may also ease processing workloads in the future by reducing the number of renewal applications.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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