For many people who are immigrating to the United States but waiting for a visa to become available, the Department of State (“DOS”) Visa Bulletin is the most important document to watch each month. The Visa Bulletin helps the applicants understand their place in line for a visa. In most
DOS Provides Update on Public Charge Inadmissibility Following Temporary Injunction Following a nationwide injunction issued by a federal judge temporarily blocking Public Charge inadmissibility from being enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Department of State (“DOS”) will be updating its guidance to consular officers on how to
A United States federal judge issued a nationwide injunction temporarily blocking the Department of State (“DOS”) and the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) from enforcing Public Charge inadmissibility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge George McDaniels of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s April 22nd Executive Order (“EO”) as the “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak”, restricting certain applicants from receiving their immigrant visas for at least 60 days, many of our clients have inquired if
The U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City has announced that starting on June 29, limited immigrant visa interviews will resume following a three-month suspension as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Immigrant visa interviews will be restricted to applicants who were initially scheduled for an interview in March, April
Beginning June 1st, the U.S. Embassy in Manila will change its banking partner from Bank of the Philippine Islands (“BPI”) to Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (“RCBC.”) Visa applicants may pay their fees at any RCBC branch. The visa application fee is non-refundable, non-transferable and applicants are required to print and
The United States House of Representatives has introduced companion legislation to the recently proposed Senate bill which would increase the number of immigrant visas issued to foreign doctors and nurses. Known as the “Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act,” the new legislation, if enacted, would authorize immigrant visas to qualified foreign nationals
United States President Donald Trump’s Executive Order (“EO”) banning certain immigrants from immigrating may end up increasing the number of visas available for employment-based immigrant visa categories. Employment-based immigrant visas are capped at 140,000 worldwide per fiscal year while family-based immigrant visas are limited to roughly 250,000 per year. The
Today U.S. President Donald Trump signed his threatened Executive Order (‘EO”) as the “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants Who Present Risk to the U.S. Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the Covid-19 Outbreak.” The proclamation becomes effective on Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 11:59 PM (ET), and suspends the
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) recently announced it would change the way it will processes I-526 Petitions (“petitions”) for EB-5 investors. Called a Visa Availability Approach, (“VAA”) this process will apply to all petitions filed after March 31, 2020. During a March 13, 2020 public stakeholders meeting, USCIS
The U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) has reiterated its earlier announcement that despite the worldwide suspension of routine visa appointments, U.S. embassies and consulates will continue to provide emergency and critical visa services. Healthcare professionals with an approved non-immigrant or immigrant petition such as an I-129 Petition for Nonimmigrant Workers
As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Department of State (“DOS”) has authorized consular officers at U.S. Embassies and Consulates to expand the categories of H-2 visa applicants whose application can be adjudicated without an in-person interview. The new policy allows interviewing consular officers the ability to waive in-person
The U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) is encouraging medical professionals with an approved immigrant or non-immigrant petition (Form I-129, Form I-140) or a certificate of eligibility in an approved exchange program to request for an expedited appointment at their nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Although DOS has instructed consular services
On March 19, 2020, the Department of State suspended all routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa interview appointments as a response to the growing Coronavirus pandemic. International travel restrictions have been put in place around the world in an attempt to control the spread of the virus. With no predetermined expiration
Following the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) lead, the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”), which oversees consular processing for immigrant and non-immigrant visas at U.S. Embassies and Consulates, has implemented its new public charge rule as of February 24, 2020. Immigrant visa applicants will be required to complete a Form
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) released an updated policy memorandum advising the Department of States (“DOS”) on adjudicating Form I-130 Petitions for Alien Relatives at U.S. Embassies and Consulates through Direct Consular Filing (“DCF.”) The policy memorandum clarifies that USCIS will no longer accept and adjudicate routine I-130 Petitions
The United States Department of State (“DOS”) is scheduled to release new guidelines giving consular officers further discretion to determine whether women who are applying for a B-1/ B-2 visitor visa primary purpose is to give birth in the United States. It is unclear how consular officers at U.S. Embassies
In rare bit of positive news from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), the agency has announced plans to maintain operations in seven international field offices in Beijing and Guangzhou, China; Nairobi, Kenya; New Delhi, India; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Mexico City, Mexico; and San Salvador, El Salvador. This is
As expected, the Final Action Date for Vietnamese EB-5 investors has retrogressed to match that of mainland-born Chinese. The U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for August 2019 now indicates that EB-5 visa applicants from China, Vietnam, and India will be subject to the same Final Action Date of October
As predicted, the U.S. Department of State now lists India on its July 2019 visa bulletin in the EB-5 visa category with a final action priority date of May 1, 2017. This should be no surprise to the industry as the Department of State has been advising for some months
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