COVID-19 Vaccinations Required for Immigrant Visa Applicants Beginning October 1st, 2021

August 27, 2021

Beginning October 1, 2021, all immigrant visa applicants will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a medical clearance prerequisite. Medical evaluations, which are regulated by the United States Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”), require immigrant visa applicants to meet certain health and vaccination standards before an immigrant visa

Update on the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program

August 23, 2021

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor “Regional Center” Program (“Program”) lapsed on June 30, 2021 due to the failure of the U.S. Congress to extend or reauthorize it before that date. Congress has not yet passed a law to reauthorize the Program. As a result, any investor and family members who do

Enterline and Partners Receives Approval for I-130 Proxy Marriage Petition

August 7, 2021

Enterline and Partners is pleased to share that we have received approval of an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (“I-130 Petition”) for one of our Philippines clients who was married by proxy. Our client, a U.S. citizen (Jack) and his Philippines wife (Jill), were married online with Jack being physically

Should I Apply for a Reentry Permit if I Need to Travel Outside the United States?

July 25, 2021

If you are a Lawful Permanent Resident (“LPR”) and need to travel outside the U.S for a temporary trip abroad, you generally do not need to apply for any special document to return to the United States. Your valid Form I-551, more commonly known as a “Green Card”, is usually

Enterline and Partners Successfully Expedites Another CR-1 Visa Through Direct Consular Filing

July 23, 2021

Enterline and Partners is pleased to announce another CR-1 immigrant visa has been issued by filing an expedited I-130 Petition for Alien Relative with the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City (“Consulate”) through Direct Consular Filing (“DCF”). The petitioner, a U.S. citizen and beneficiary, a British citizen, were married

USCIS Issues Another Alert, This Time on the Court Order Regarding EB-5 Regulations

July 13, 2021

The United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (“USCIS”) has posted another Alert regarding the EB-5 immigrant investor visa. We post the complete Alert here for convenience. “On June 22, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, in Behring Regional Center LLC v. Wolf, 20-cv-09263-JSC, vacated the EB-5 Immigrant

Alert – USCIS Changes Policy on EB-5 Regional Center Program Adjustment of Status Filings

July 9, 2021

One day after announcing its policy on handling EB-5 immigrant investor petitions and applications, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has reversed its decision on accepting Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (“Form I-485”). The updated “Alert” with this change has been posted on

USCIS Issues Alert on the EB-5 Regional Center Program

July 5, 2021

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has posted an “Alert” on its “Approved EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Centers webpage”. The Alert explains how the USCIS will handle relevant petitions and applications following the sunset of the Immigrant Investor “Regional Center” Program (the “Program”). We emphasis herein guidance related

The EB-5 Regional Center Program Will Lapse on June 30, 2021

June 29, 2021

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor “Regional Center” Program (“Program”) will lapse on June 30, 2021 due to the failure of the U.S. Congress to reauthorize or extend it before the expiration date. Because the Senate has adjourned for recess until July 12, 2021, the Program will remain unavailable as no legislation

AILA – Practice Advisory: Immigrant Visa (Green Card) Processing Delays

June 28, 2021

Update: The Department of State has updated their triad approach. For more information, click here. After enduring the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year, most U.S. embassies and consulates are not operating at full capacity. Due to limited appointment availability, a significant backlog was created for immigrant (IV) and nonimmigrant visa

USCIS Policy Update to “Requests for Evidence” and “Notices of Intent to Deny”

June 27, 2021

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has issued new policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address the circumstances in which officers should issue Requests for Evidence (“RFEs”) and Notices of Intent to Deny (“NOIDs”). In 2013, USCIS published guidance instructing officers to issue RFEs in cases involving

U.S. District Court Rules to Overturn EB-5 Regulations; Investment Amount Reduced to $500,000 – for Now.

June 25, 2021

On June 22, 2021, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California issued an order granting summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff, Behring Regional Center, in the lawsuit Behring filed against the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). The order was given in the matter of Behring

What is a Proxy Marriage and Can it Be Filed with USCIS?

June 14, 2021

The term proxy marriage refers to the ceremony performed where one or both members of the party to the marriage are not physically present at the ceremony. Although unrecognized in most U.S. jurisdictions, some jurisdictions not only recognize online marriages but they have streamlined the process making it easy for

Presidential Proclamation Requiring Incoming Immigrants To Have Health Insurance Revoked

May 27, 2021

The October 2019 Presidential Proclamation requiring incoming immigrants to have health insurance has been revoked by the White House. The Executive Order (“EO”) signed by then President Donald Trump required incoming immigrants to demonstrate that they will have health insurance within 30 days of their arrival in the United States.

Can My Spouse Delay Their EB-5 Visa Application and Apply to Immigrate Later?

May 14, 2021

In most cases, the family member of a principal EB-5 Petitioner, called a “dependent” or “beneficiary”, can delay his or her visa application to immigrate to the U.S. until a later date if the conditions for eligibility are still in place in the future. The decision for a spouse to

DOS Announces Tiered Approach to Resuming Immigrant Visa Applications

May 13, 2021

In a recent announcement from the United States Department of State (“DOS”), the Bureau of Consular Affairs reaffirmed its commitment in providing the current status of worldwide immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing operations. Specifically, DOS has been updating the public on how embassies and consulates affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

Travel Issues for Permanent Residents in Pandemic Times

April 22, 2021

The following is guidance provided by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) for attorneys and their clients to better understand the travel issues for permanent residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enterline and Partners attorneys are proud to be active AILA members and to share this information with you. Travel restrictions

What is an I-864 Affidavit of Support? Financial Support for U.S. Immigration

April 16, 2021

A Form I-864 is one of the required documents in the U.S. immigrant visa application process , especially for family-based categories and some employment-based cases. The Form I-864 allows the U.S. government to assess the financial capability of the sponsor to ensure that the intended immigrant will not become a

United States Senate Introduces New Legislation for Immigrant Nurses and Doctors

April 5, 2021

The United States Senate has introduced bi-partisan legislation to provide temporary relief to the nation’s shortage of doctors and nurses. The senate bill, known as the “Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act 2021” would recapture 25,000 unused immigrant visas for nurses and 15,000 unused immigrant visas for doctors in the ongoing battle

Enterline Obtains Expedited Processing for Hong Kong EB-5 Investors

March 25, 2021

Enterline and Partners Consulting Managing Partner David Enterline has obtained approval from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) Investor Program Office (“IPO”) to expedite the review of Hong Kong EB-5 investors I-526 Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor (“I-526 Petition”). An approval of an expedite request is not an

Immigrant Visa

CATEGORY

Understanding Form I-864A: Contract Between Household Member and Sponsor

Are K-1 Fiancé(e) Visas Affected by Trump’s 2025 Immigration Policies?

Infrastructure Project, Rural Area, And Targeted Employment Area In The RIA

What is a Priority Date in U.S. Immigration? A Complete Guide to the Priority Date in U.S. Immigration

USCIS To Implements the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test