Immigrant Visa

Trump’s Immigration Ban May Result in More Employment-Based Immigrant Visas Being Issued

May 5, 2020

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

Temporary Restraining Order Filed Against Trump’s Immigration Ban In Order to Protect Children

April 29, 2020

The first group of litigants have filed a Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) against U.S. President Donald Trump’s Immigration Ban. The TRO petition, which was filed in the U.S. Federal District Court in Oregon, seeks an immediate, limited order to protect family-based preference immigrants under the age of 21 from being

Announcement: USCIS Extends In-Person Services Suspension through June 3rd

April 28, 2020

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced that in-person services at its offices will reopen as early as June 4th in compliance with local and state orders. In-person services at USCIS include field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers. During this extended closure period, USCIS will

EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Petition Statistics Released by the USCIS for Fiscal Year 2020 Q1

April 27, 2020

The United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (“USCIS”) has published its quarterly performance data for Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor and Form I-829, Petition by Entrepreneurs to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status. The number of I-526 petition filings are not much of a surprise and the painfully

Trump’s Immigration Ban Has Just Been Released. And It’s Not As Bad As We Expected.

April 23, 2020

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

Trump Tweets He Will Stop All Immigration: No Need to Fear (Yet)

April 21, 2020

United States President Donald Trump tweeted late in the evening on April 20th that he intends to sign an Executive Order (“EO”) temporarily suspending immigration to the U.S. as it battles the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting mass unemployment. While concerning for many, Enterline and Partners would like to calm

Will The New EB-5 Processing Policy Help Children Who Might Otherwise Age Out?

April 14, 2020

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

Announcement: DOS Continues to Encourage Medical Professionals with Approved Petitions to Seek an Emergency Visa Appointment

April 13, 2020

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

The Effect of Breaks in Continuity of Residence on Eligibility for Naturalization

April 7, 2020

Are you a lawful permanent resident (“LPR”) of the United States and want to become a U.S. citizen? If you have been a resident for at least 5 years, or 3 years if you obtained your LPR status through marriage to a U.S. citizen, then you may be eligible for

Announcement: USCIS Extends In-Person Services Suspension through May 3

April 6, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will extend in-person services suspension at Field Offices, Asylum Offices and Application Support Centers (“ACS”) through May 3 unless otherwise announced. While the extended closure covers interviews, naturalization ceremonies, and biometric collections, USCIS will continue to provide emergency and essential services that do not

What is an I-134 Affidavit of Support and How Is It Different from an I-864 Affidavit of Support?

April 25, 2023

Both an I-134 Affidavit of Support and an I-864 Affidavit of Support are legal documents used by U.S. consular officers to demonstrate an agreement to provide financial support for a foreign national within the U.S. immigration system. However, there are some notable differences between the two documents. An I-134 Affidavit

David Enterline attends EB-5 IIUSA events and receives certificate

April 21, 2023

Enterline and Partners Consulting Managing Partner David Enterline recently attended the Invest in the USA (“IIUSA”) EB-5 association Global Passport Series in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Taipei, Taiwan. IIUSA is the national membership-based EB-5 industry association for EB-5 regional centers and other EB-5 stakeholders and professionals. Its members

Enterline and Partners Successfully Represents Vietnamese Family in Overcoming 214(b) Visitor Visa Refusal

April 14, 2023

Enterline and Partners recently represented a family of four in overcoming their 214(b) visa refusals at the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City (“Consulate”). The family, who formally held U.S. B-1/ B-2 Visitor Visas (“Visitor Visa”), had acquired Grenada citizenship by making an investment in order to gain benefits

USCIS Removes Biometrics Requirement for EB-5 Investors on Form I-526E Petitioners

April 11, 2023

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has removed the biometrics $85 biometrics fee requirement for petitioners filing Form I-526E, Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor. Petitioners no longer need to submit the fee for biometrics services with their Form I-526E. The USCIS has determined that universal biometrics collection

U.S. CDC Rescinds COVID-19 Testing for Passengers from China

April 3, 2023

The U.S. Center for Disease Control (“CDC”) has rescinded a policy that air passengers boarding flights to the United States originating from the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau have a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery. The policy, which

USCIS Flexibility For Responding to Agency Requests Will Expire on March 23, 2023

March 29, 2023

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) COVID-19 related flexibilities will expire on March 23, 2023. The USCIS, which has extended COVID-19 related flexibilities multiple times including March 2022, October 2022 and January 2023 are not expected to be further extended. The extensions have been in place to assist

USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp

March 24, 2023

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced that lawful permanent residents may receive temporary evidence of their lawful permanent resident status by mail rather than having to physically visit a field office to receive an Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication (“ADIT”) stamp (also known as an I-551

The Visa Waiting Time for the Family-Based First Preference Immigrant Visa Category

March 13, 2023

Family-based immigration is an important aspect of the United States immigration system, which allows citizens and lawful permanent residents to sponsor their close relatives. One of the family-based immigrant visa categories is the first preference category, which is for unmarried adult children (21 years or older) of U.S. citizens; often

USCIS Issues New Policy Guidelines In Calculating a Child’s Age under the Child Status Protection Act

February 24, 2023

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has issued new guidelines in the agency’s policy manual in determining when an immigrant visa number “becomes available” for purposes of calculating an immigrant visa applicant’s age under the Child Status Protection Act (“CSPA”). In order for a child to be issued

A Poem for EB-5

February 18, 2023

U.S.-oriented, the goal of investment immigration EB-5 program is a choice of individuals, an opportunity to create a life of freedom Entrepreneurial development in this land, stepping towards success Infinite possibilities, the beauty of the future gradually unveiled An investment in exchange for a visa, achieving a win-win outcome A

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