Today the Department of State updated their website to indicate that National Interest Exceptions (NIEs) previously granted by U.S. embassies and consulates overseas will no longer be valid for 30 days for a single entry but, rather and unless otherwise indicated, existing NIEs will be valid for 12 months from the date of approval and for multiple entries, as long as they are used for the purpose under which they were granted.
We have also heard reports from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that NIEs granted by that agency will not benefit from this same expansion and will continue to be valid for a single entry to the U.S. within 30 days of issuance, but this has yet to be officially confirmed by the agency.
We expect that additional guidance regarding how individuals will demonstrate their continued eligibility to use previously granted NIEs (including how they will document that their travel is for the same purpose that the initial NIE was granted) will be forthcoming and D&S will continue to provide updates as they become available.