Russian consulate closure may mean longer visa processing times, increased tensions

In response to Russia’s alleged role in the poisoning of an ex-spy in Britain, the Trump Administration is expelling 60 Russian diplomats and is ordering the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle on April 2.

This closure is expected to lead to longer processing times for travel visas and other services. The Seattle location was responsible for requests coming from people in Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The closure will also cause greater inconvenience for those who need to make in-person appearance since the Russian consulate in San Francisco was closed last September. The only remaining locations include New York, Washington D.C. and Houston.

The United States was not the only country to support Britain through the expulsion of Russian Diplomats as multiple countries in the EU have taken similar actions.  As political tensions between Russia and the rest of world continue to increase, travelers are urged to closely monitor developments and prepare for possible impacts.

As always, U.S. travelers visiting foreign countries are advised to register their trip with the State Department’s STEP program. This free service allows the U.S. government to easily update enrollees with information from the Embassy about safety conditions in the traveler’s destination country. STEP also helps the U.S. Embassy contact enrolled travelers in the event of civil unrest, natural disaster, or family emergency. For more information on STEP or to enroll please visit https://step.state.gov/STEP/Index.aspx

Congress revisits the issue of airfare transparency

A mostly overlooked provision in the lengthy Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Act signed into law by President Trump last week mandates that the U.S. Department of Transportation re-launch its investigation into airfare transparency. Proponents of improved airfare transparency, which includes the American Society of Travel Agents, have called for the DOT to “work with the industry, consumers and other stakeholders to establish guidelines for the airlines and any for profit seller of commercial air transport to ensure that fares and fees be clearly displayed” in order to provide customers with well-defined and accurate pricing information.  

In December of 2017, the DOT withdrew proposed rulemaking on fee transparency, which left many consumer advocates worried that the true cost of air travel could be hard for consumers to determine while shopping on line.