The Bureau of Consular Affairs of the U.S. Department of State has announced a revised schedule of reciprocity for the Palestinian Authority. Effective May 2, 2023, the visa validity period for several nonimmigrant visa categories for Palestinian travelers will be increased from a maximum of three years to a maximum of five years.

All Palestinian Authority passport holders who were issued a non-immigrant visa on or after May 2 will be eligible for the full five-year validity. This corresponds to the validity period of Palestinian passports.

The office said: The increase in the validity period to five years reflects the commitment of the United States to facilitate Palestinian tourist, educational and commercial travel. It will give Palestinians more opportunities to reconnect with family members in the United States and travel to study, and the extended validity period will open up new opportunities for bilateral economic cooperation.

He indicated that the change in the validity of the visa does not apply retroactively to visas issued before the date of May 2, 2023. The validity period for these visas will be three years as a maximum.