Immigration tips

For travelers planning trips to New York City, be prepared to shell out more money than ever for a hotel.

India is now the third-largest domestic aviation market, after the U.S. and China, according to data by aviation analytics firm OAG. In April 2024, India’s domestic airline capacity was about 15.6 million, up from 8 million in April 2014. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Karen Edwards, who blogs about her family's life abroad. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Many years ago, Loren Pankratz got a call from a rare book dealer. The man was at the end of his career, he told Pankratz, and had a special book to sell. It had been passed down from his grandfather, and perhaps only three other copies existed in the world. He thought Pankratz, a former professor of psychology in Oregon who collects books on cons and frauds, might be interested. Pankratz bought the book, which was in German, and it sat on his shelf for years, unread. Then, years later, he met a translator who helped him understand the gem he was holding onto.

Japan, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain have the world’s most powerful passports, allowing visa-free entry to 194 countries out of 227. That’s according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index rankings released on Wednesday. 

A new law that just passed in Spain related to the long reign of former dictator Francisco Franco will allow more Spanish descendants to apply for citizenship. This is useful for immigrants residing in the country. And for the diaspora, it could mean longer trips to Europe without need for a visa.