New Visa Rules for America (USA) - Very Important!

If you plan to visit the United States please make note of the following - and pass it along to friends, family, work colleagues - and anyone you know who is thinking of visiting the U.S.

According to today’s news reports, more than fifty percent of travellers to the USA are unaware of the new visa rules which came into effect today, January 12 2009.  Under the US Visa Waiver program visitors to the US are now required toregister online at least 72 hours prior to the date of travel.  Those who anticipate problems obtaining a visa for the USA (a criminal record, for example) should register well ahead of the travel date in case they are required to attend the embassy for an interview.

Failure to comply with the new rules could mean refusal of entry and subsequent loss of all money paid for the trip.  Note that travel insurance does not cover losses caused by failure to obtain necessary visas!

It is also vital to check the expiration date of passports and renew them in plenty of time.  For the USA, and many other countries, it is required to have six months validity left on a passport.  For some countries it is also a requirement to have a number of blank pages available.  If in doubt always check well ahead of the travel date or renew your passport and avoid any problems.

To register for Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visit the website.

For general information about travel to the USA visit our Travel Guide and follow the link for the Foreign Office (FCO) for comprehensive and important travel updates and advisories.  Lastly, don’t forget to get a quote for that other important matter -Travel Insurance!

PCI Compliance: Visa Announces Global Deadlines

In response to the complex and global threats faced by the cardholder ecosystem, Visa Increcently announced worldwide deadlines for PCI DSS Compliance. "Compliance with PCI DSS is vital to ensuring the integrity of the global payments system," said Eduardo Perez, head of global data security, Visa Inc. "Aligning compliance programs across the Visa regions is the latest step in our commitment to safeguarding cardholder data."

Important dates include:

• February 1, 2009: Providers processing more than 300,000 annual transactions must demonstrate PCI DSS Compliance
• September 30, 2009: Level 1 and Level 2 Merchants will be prohibited from storing sensitive authentication data (e.g. full magnetic stripe, security codes, PIN)
• September 30, 2010: Acquiring banks must prove that all Level 1 Merchants have demonstrated compliance with the PCI DSS.

Also announced was that Visa Europe’s merchants will follow a different timeline (yet to be announced) for validating compliance.

After these deadlines pass, Visa can fine acquirers if they fail to demonstrate that all of their required entities are compliant. I expect that the acquiring banks will pass these fines onto the non-compliant merchants.

As shown by Visa’s initial deadlines for Level 1 and Level 2 Merchants in the US, the combination of fines and incentives can drive significant progress with respect to PCI compliance. By opting to hold large merchants, banks and service providers accountable around the globe, Visa has likely jump-started another wave of progress with respect to global cardholder data security.

Hopefully, organizations around the world can work with, and learn from, their counterparts in the US and avoid some of the more common mistakes and resulting misfortune.

Boy George Told No for US Visa

Despite the fact that the tour has been scheduled to begin July 11th in Las Vegas, U S Authorities have refused Boy George a Visa to enter the country. They are claiming it has nothing to do with anything from Boy George’s past but the fact that he is facing trial in November in London for false imprisonment charges. His lawyers have forbidden anyone from speaking about the facts in the case.

The singer was arrested last year after a 28 year old male escort from Norway accused him of false imprisonment by chaining him to a wall and assaulting him.

47 years old, George has denied the charges and was released on bail. He was given unconditional bail by the police and the courts in London have given him permission to travel where ever he wants to go. He has his lawyers looking into this to see if they can come up with a reason to change the US Authorities minds.

The 24 day tour is scheduled to end August 23rd at The House of Blues in Dallas. George says he is pretty devastated about having his visa application denied since he did after all sweep the streets of New York clean. In 2006 he pleaded guilty to falsely reporting a burglary so he was ordered to clean the streets as part of community service

Boston.com reports that Boy George, whose real name is George O’Dowd, wanted to perform a free concert in New York to show his appreciation to the Department of Sanitation for their kindness while he served his community service sentence.