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

Vietnam Investors Leap Forward Almost 2 Months on the April visa bulletin

March 16, 2021

Good news for Vietnam EB-5 Investors, as the “Final Action Date” priority date on the Department of State’s April visa bulletin leaped forward by almost two months, from October 22, 2017 to December 15, 2017. The priority date indicates that any Vietnamese investors who filed their I-526 Petitions on or

What Is a Form I-130? 20+ Answers About the Petition for Alien Relative

March 9, 2021

A Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relatives, is filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) to establish a qualifying family relationship between a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (Green Card Holder) and a foreign national immediate relative (“Beneficiary”) . Submitting the Form I-130 is the first step

The March 2021 Visa Bulletin Priority Date – Three weeks forward for Vietnamese EB-5 immigrant investors; China frozen; Taiwan and rest of the world current.

March 3, 2021

Visa Bulletin for March 2021 Priority Date Three weeks forward for Vietnamese EB-5 immigrant investors; China frozen; Taiwan and rest of the world current. The “Final Action Date” priority date for Vietnamese EB-5 investors moved forward three weeks in the Department of State March 2021 visa bulletin, from October 1,

Biden Revokes Trump’s Executive Order Restricting Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants

February 25, 2021

United States President Joseph Biden has revoked former President Donald Trump’s Executive Order (“EO”) restricting certain immigrant and non-immigrant applicants from visa processing. Intended to protect U.S. jobs at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump issued an EO on April 23, 2020 suspending selected immigrant visa applicants which

EB-2 Visa Approved in Manila

February 23, 2021

Enterline and Partners is pleased to share that we were able to overcome a refusal for one of our clients who was successfully issued an EB-2 Immigrant Visa in the Philippines. Our client, a healthcare provider, was petitioned by a U.S. employer as a physical therapist. After the Form I-140

Writ of Mandamus for EB-5 immigrant investors update

February 2, 2021

In June we wrote about the option of filing a Writ of Mandamus for EB-5 investors whose I-526 Petitions have been pending for a long time without a decision. In August 2020, Enterline and Partners assisted one of its clients to file a Writ of Mandamus for an EB-5 immigrant

Interest in the EB 5 visa returning with 75 investors from July through September 2020

January 26, 2021

Following the increase to the minimum investment in a targeted employment area, from US$500,000 to US$900,000 in November 2019 [see here, here and here], interest in the EB-5 immigrant investor visa significantly dropped in early 2020. Data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) on quarterly filings indicated

USCIS to Replace Sticker That Extends Validity of Green Cards

January 25, 2021

Starting in January 2021, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will replace the sticker that is currently issued to lawful permanent residents (“LPRs”) to extend the validity of their Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (“Green Card”). The new document will be a revised Form I-797, Notice of Action

What is a Transportation Letter or Boarding Foil?

January 15, 2021

We have previously written about what lawful permanent residents can do if their Form I-551 “Green Card” has been lost, stolen, or destroyed and they are outside of the United States. In these articles, we have mentioned obtaining a travel letter or ‘Boarding Foil,” so they may return to the

Trump Extends Restrictions on Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants Through March

January 7, 2021

United States President Donald Trump has extended an earlier Presidential Proclamation restricting certain immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories from consular processing in response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. The Executive Order (“EO”), which was first issued in April 2020, restricted certain immigrant visa applicants from receiving their visas for at

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