Latest news with #DepartmentOfState
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Buried in Trump's beautiful bill is a new $250 fee on travelers to the U.S. Estimates project it could cut the federal deficit by nearly $30 billion
A provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act states all visitors who need nonimmigrant visas to enter the U.S.—tourists, business travelers and international students, to name a few—must pay a 'visa integrity fee,' currently priced at $250. Travelers who comply with their visa conditions will be eligible for reimbursement. The provision is estimated to bring in $28.9 billion over the next decade. Visitors to the United States will need to pay a new fee to enter the country, according to the Trump administration's recently enacted bill. A provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act states all visitors who need nonimmigrant visas to enter the U.S.—tourists, business travelers and international students, to name a few—must pay a 'visa integrity fee,' currently priced at $250. The fee cannot be waived or reduced, but travelers are able to get their fees reimbursed, the provision states. All told, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the new fee could cut the federal deficit by $28.9 billion over the next ten years. During the same period, the CBO expects the Department of the State to issue about 120 million nonimmigrant visas. In 2023 alone, more than 10.4 million nonimmigrants were issued visas, according to DOS data. CBO expects a 'small number' of people will seek reimbursement, as many nonimmigrant visas are valid for several years. CBO also expects the Department of State would need several years to implement a process for providing reimbursements. Still, the fee could generate billions, the agency estimates. The fee is set at $250 during the U.S. fiscal year 2025, which ends Sept. 30, and must be paid when the visa is issued, according to the provision. The secretary of Homeland Security can set the current fee higher, the provision states. During each subsequent fiscal year, the fee will be adjusted for inflation. Those eligible for reimbursement are visa holders who comply with conditions of the visa, which include not accepting unauthorized employment or not overstaying their visa validity date by more than five days, according to the provision. Senior Equity Analyst at CFRA Research Ana Garcia told Fortune in an email she expects the 'vast majority' of affected travelers to be eligible for reimbursement, as historical U.S. Congressional Research Service data indicates that only 1% to 2% of nonimmigrant visitors overstayed their visas between 2016 and 2022. 'The fee's design as a refundable security deposit, contingent upon visa compliance, should mitigate concerns among legitimate travelers.' Garcia wrote. Reimbursements will be made after the travel visa expires, the provision said. Any fees not reimbursed will be deposited into America's Checkbook, or the General Fund of the Government. What's unclear is the effective date of the 'visa integrity fee.' Steven A. Brown, a partner at the Houston-based immigration law firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC, wrote in a post on his firm's website the fee's 'specific start dates have not yet been confirmed.' Brown points out that the fee is an add-on to others already required by U.S. travelers. 'For example, an H-1B worker already paying a $205 application fee may now expect to pay a total of $455 once this fee is in place,' Brown wrote. Most travelers are also required to pay a fee that comes with submitting a Form 1-94 arrival and departure record. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act increased this charge from $6 to $24. CFRA's Garcia expects demand to be unmoved by the fee, considering 'higher-income' consumers comprise the majority of international leisure and business travelers to the U.S. 'For affluent travelers, the additional $250 represents a manageable increment relative to overall trip costs,' Garcia wrote. 'The fee structure appears strategically designed to enhance compliance rather than broadly restrict travel.' This story was originally featured on Solve the daily Crossword
Reuters
5 days ago
- Health
- Reuters
US rejects WHO global pandemic response accord
WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - The United States has rejected an agreement adopted by members of the World Health Organization to improve preparedness for future pandemics following the disjointed global response to COVID-19, the government said on Friday. The Department of State and Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement they had transmitted on Friday the official U.S. rejection of the legally binding pact, which was adopted in Geneva in May after three years of negotiations. The pact aims to ensure that drugs, therapeutics and vaccines are globally accessible when the next pandemic hits. It requires participating manufacturers to allocate a target of 20% of their vaccines, medicines and tests to the WHO during a pandemic to ensure poorer countries have access. U.S. negotiators left discussions about the accord after President Donald Trump began a 12-month process of withdrawing the U.S. - by far the WHO's largest financial backer - from the agency when he took office in January. Its exit means the U.S. would not be bound by the pact. "Developed without adequate public input, these amendments expand the role of the WHO in public health emergencies, create additional authorities for the WHO for shaping pandemic declarations, and promote WHO's ability to facilitate 'equitable access' of health commodities," the U.S. statement said. "Terminology throughout the 2024 amendments is vague and broad, risking WHO-coordinated international responses that focus on political issues like solidarity, rather than rapid and effective actions," said the statement, jointly issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy, who has a long history of sowing doubt about vaccine safety, had slammed WHO in a video address to the Assembly during its vote, saying it had failed to learn from the lessons of the pandemic with the new agreement. Kennedy and Rubio said on Friday that the rejection protects U.S. sovereignty. The pact leaves health policy to national governments and contains nothing that overrides national sovereignty, however.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ogdensburg seeks state funding to update comprehensive, waterfront revitalization plans
Jul. 16—OGDENSBURG — The city is seeking funding to update its aging Comprehensive Plan as well as its Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan. On Monday night, City Council passed a resolution supporting the application of a grant through the New York State Department of State's Smart Growth Community Planning and Zoning Grant Program to "update its aged comprehensive plan to align with its more current goals. Through this plan, the public and community stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide guidance and feedback to ensure each future project undertaken by the City spurs economic development, creates new and improved recreational activities for residents and visitors, and protects the City's greenspaces." Mayor Michael Tooley called it an "important first step" to find funding for the update. Council also approved the grant application for funding through the Department of State's Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. "The St. Lawrence and Oswegatchie River waterfronts located in the City of Ogdensburg are vital assets to the City's economic, recreational, and environmental well-being. These waterfronts have long supported development, provided valued spaces for community recreation, attracted tourism, and contributed to the region's ecological health. To ensure these resources are managed efficiently, equitably, and sustainably, the City of Ogdensburg intends to submit applications for both the update of its Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan and for the implementation of a priority waterfront project identified in the current plan," stated the resolution. In other City Council business: — The city designated City Manager Fonda Chronis as the authorized official to act on behalf of the city in regards to the $1,000,000 awarded by the Northern Border Regional Commission for the Main Street Pump Station Rehabilitation Project. — Council heard a presentation from Kobe Harrington with the St. Lawrence County Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force has the following mission statement: "To identify, investigate, and provide services for victims of human trafficking with the collaboration of task force partners all utilizing a victim-centered approach and increasing awareness within the local community." — Recommendations made by the City Charter Commission will be presented to City Council on Monday, July 28. — Monday's meeting began with a 40 minute executive session. The resolution stated it was called for "to discuss collective negotiations pursuant to article fourteen of civil service law." — The meeting concluded with a second executive session to "discuss proposed, pending or current litigation." After coming out of the executive session, City Council entered into a contract with Paul V. Nolan for legal consultation services to represent the city's interests in the upcoming re-licensing of the Ogdensburg Hydroelectric Project. "The services to be performed by the attorney will involve representing the city's interests in the upcoming re-licensing of the Ogdensburg Hydroelectric Project by Ampersand Ogdensburg Hydro (AOH) before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and assisting the City of Ogdensburg's City Attorney with several matters that involve FERC's regulation of the Project," stated the resolution. "The city manager and city attorney contend Paul V. Nolan, Esq. is best positioned to provide the city with these services." Nolan will charge a rate of $300 per hour with the contract term beginning July 1 through March 31, 2026. Solve the daily Crossword
Al Arabiya
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Independents who want to vote in pennsylvania's closed primaries seek help from state's high court
The Department of State was named as respondent to the lawsuit, along with the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Secretary of State Al Schmidt, who serves under Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro. A department spokesperson said Tuesday that the lawsuit was being reviewed. 'It might be suggested that (the) petitioners have brought exclusion on themselves by choosing to not identify as members of a political party,' the four voters argued in the lawsuit. They said that ignores how the state constitution's Free and Equal Elections Clause is designed to equalize voters' power, regardless of their faction (or lack thereof) and regardless of their individual political viewpoints. Jeremy Gruber, senior vice president with New York-based Open Primaries, a group that campaigns for more open primaries among the states, says Pennsylvania is among 14 states with closed primaries. New Mexico this year passed a law allowing voters with no party affiliation to vote in primary elections without changing their nonpartisan status. Lawsuits are pending in Wyoming, Oregon, and Maryland, Gruber said. It's unclear when the Supreme Court will rule on the request that it take up the case directly. Three of its seven justices, all Democrats, face up-or-down statewide retention votes this fall, with voters deciding whether they should get additional 10-year terms. When an open primary bill was passed in May by the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee, all Democrats were in favor and all Republicans opposed. It remains pending in the House. 'I've always said the primary's not the election–the primary's the nomination,' House Republican Leader Jesse Topper of Bedford County said in the Capitol on Tuesday. Topper left the door slightly open on the topic, saying he is always willing to give it a fresh set of eyes. The sponsor of the House bill, state Rep. Jared Solomon, a Philadelphia Democrat, said unaffiliated voters pay into the system, prop up the election system, and get zero in return and no vote. 'It is not a partisan issue at all.' Pennsylvania's nearly 8.9 million registered voters include some 3.8 million Democrats, 3.6 million Republicans, and about 1.4 million others. The four voters who sued are broadcaster and political commentator Michael Smerconish, grocery story owner Jeffery Doty, physical therapist Rachel Shanok, and David Thornburgh, son of former Republican Gov. Richard Thornburgh and head of Ballot PA Action, a group that advocates for open primaries.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Changes made to Pennsylvania's provisional ballot envelopes
(WHTM) — The Department of State has announced changes to Pennsylvania's provisional ballot envelopes. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced that the Department of State has redesigned Pennsylvania's provisional ballot envelopes to improve legibility and increase user-friendliness. 'Every registered voter in our Commonwealth should have the opportunity to cast their vote and make their voice heard in each election,' Schmidt said during a press conference in Philadelphia. 'We believe these changes to the provisional ballot envelopes will have a positive impact, just as the changes we made to mail ballot materials two years ago did.' In 2023, the Shapiro Administration redesigned Pennsylvania mail ballots and materials, which contributed to a 57% decrease in mail ballot rejections during the 2024 general election. 29.12% of provisional ballots were rejected, with the most common reason being that the voter was not registered, and the second being an incomplete ballot envelope. Schmidt says it received feedback from county elections officials across Pennsylvania who mentioned the need for enhanced usability for voters and poll workers. In response, the Department featured a new layout that clearly instructs voters which fields they must fill out, including highlighting the two places where the envelope must be signed. 2025_provisional_ballot_envelope_new-1-2Download The new envelopes also streamline the process for election workers, identifying which fields they need to complete before and after the voter completes their provisional ballot. 'The redesign of the ballot envelope simplifies the process of voting provisionally, and that means fewer errors and fewer rejected ballots,' said Omar Sabir, Chairman of the Philadelphia City Commissioners. 'It's an important part of ensuring that every eligible vote gets counted, and we're proud to lead this multi-county effort alongside our partners at the Department of State.' Schmidt said he expects counties to use the new materials in the 2025 general election. The Department is offering grant money to counties that choose to use the new envelopes to help counties with the cost of replacing their current provisional ballot envelopes. For more information on voting in Pennsylvania, including mail and provisional ballots, call the Department of State's year-round voter hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA or visit their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
