F-1

Editor’s Note: this article was written after the lawsuit discussed herein but not published before the DHS indicated to the Federal Court judge on July 14th that it would rescind the policy. In a recent American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) webinar, the esteemed Ira Kurzban, unquestionably regarded as the godfather

The U.S. Consulate General for Hong Kong and Macau and the American Institute in Taiwan (“AIT”) resumed routine visa services on July 15, 2020. The AIT will resume routine visa services but will prioritize F, M, and J visa applications, which is understandable as students will need to obtain visas

Following the resumption of limited immigrant visa processing on June 29th, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City will resume partial non-immigrant visa processing beginning July 15th. Applicants applying for the following visas will be allowed to schedule appointments: F-1 student visas; M-1

The United States Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) has announced a new policy related to foreign students studying in the United States full-time online as a result of many academic institutions shifting to virtual classes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to DHS, all foreign students including those from Vietnam,

While non-immigrant visa applicants have been required to disclose social media handles on their DS-160 Online Application since June 2019, certain visa holders such as those entering the United States on B-1/ B-2 visitor visas and F-1 student visas have reported an increased number of entry refusals because of other

Earlier this month, a U.S. Federal Court judge issued an injunction against the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) blocking an August 9, 2018 policy memorandum on accrual of unlawful presence of F, M and J nonimmigrant visa holders. You can read more about the policy memorandum at: Final

Students wishing to study in the USA are able eligible for three different U.S. visas: F-1 Student Visa.  This visa covers private high schools, colleges, graduate and professional degree programs (i.e. medicine, law, dentistry, etc.) provided that the educational program is intended for a degree. To be eligible, the applicant

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced clarification for F-1 visa students completing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) participating in an Optional Practical Training Extension (OPT). In a document dated August 17, 2018 posted on the USCIS website, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified

The U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) has published a list of visa issuances for both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for the months of May and June 2018. There were 1,643 immigrant visas issued for Vietnamese nationals in May. Eighty-four were IR-1 visas and 187 were CR-1 visas. The IR-1 visa