On September 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) launched a new version of the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (“STEP”). The STEP is a free service allowing U.S. citizens and nationals to enroll their trip abroad so DOS can accurately and quickly contact them in case of emergency. Existing
The U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City has implemented the Business Visa Facilitation Pilot Program (BVFPP). The program is designed to facilitate American companies who want to send Vietnamese employees to the U.S. for business purposes. The program allows those companies to register with the U.S. Consulate in advance
Enterline and Partners Consulting recently took part in a vibrant celebration of the July 4th American Independence Day as a proud sponsor of the annual picnic organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The event, held on June 29th, brought together a diverse community
Following the June 18, 2024 announcement of Parole-in-Place, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) will begin accepting applications beginning August 19, 2024. Applications filed prior to August 19 will be rejected. In order to be considered for Parole-in-Place, which is approved on a case-by-case basis, an applicant must have
Enterline and Partners is pleased to announce that our attorneys have successfully represented their clients through Direct Consular Filing (“DCF”) of a Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (“I-130 Petition) at the U.S. Embassy in Manila (“Embassy’). Our clients, a U.S. citizen and a Philippines citizen, were seeking an alternative
On June 18, 2024, President Joe Biden announced a series of immigration actions by using an Executive Order (“EO”). The EO, formally known as Parole-in-Place, are designed to help certain undocumented aliens obtain lawful presence within the United States. It consists of the following: Spouses and children of U.S. citizens
Enterline and Partners Managing Partner David Enterline attended the IIUSA 14th Annual EB-5 Industry Forum in Atlanta, Georgia in May and spoke on the panel “Investor Markets Overview: New Opportunities“. IIUSA is the national membership-based EB-5 industry association for EB-5 Regional Centers and other EB-5 stakeholders and professionals. Its members
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has issued an updated policy guidance on Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (“Petition”) explaining how the agency handles family-based immigrant visa petition approvals regarding correcting approval notice errors, requests for consular processing or adjustment of status, and routing procedures for approved
The U.S. Department of State has announced a signing a Memorandum of Cooperation on Culture and People-to-People Ties between the United States and Vietnam. See the post on the USDOS website here. “Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Liz Allen and Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield met
The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced a Temporary Final Rule (“TFR”) providing that the automatic extension period applicable to expiring Employment Authorization Documents (“EADs”) for renewal applicants who have filed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, will be increased from
The United States Department of State (“DOS”) has released a fact sheet on establishing a new Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force (“Task Force”) that reviews nonimmigrant visa holders activities specifically to identify those who have engaged in birth tourism and to revoke visas for those who engage or facilitate in
Updated for 2025: Heightened Enforcement at Ports of Entry Like all international travelers, lawful permanent residents (LPRs)—also known as Green Card holders—are subject to inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) when arriving at an airport or land port of entry. While LPRs enjoy greater rights than nonimmigrants when
Visa retrogression is a situation where the Department of State (“DOS”) adjusts the Final Action Date and Dates For Filing backwards on the DOS monthly Visa Bulletin. This occurs when the demand for immigrant visas in a specific visa category exceeds the estimated supply, causing applicants who were previously eligible
A common question asked by potential clients is: “Do I need an immigration lawyer to file a K-1 visa for my Vietnamese fiancé/fiancée?” While the short answer is no, having an immigration lawyer represent you and your fiancé through the K-1 visa process has significant advantages. The Benefit of a
A B-1 domestic employee visa permits certain foreign domestic workers to temporarily accompany their employer to the United States to manage household or other domestic services. The visa is narrowly defined and carefully regulated. It applies only when there is an established employment relationship and when the employer’s stay in
United States government posts have frequently listed Vietnamese citizens’names on government documents incorrectly such as on visas and Form I-551 (“Green Cards”.) This often happens because Vietnamese passports list names in the order of last name (or “family name” or “surname”) followed by the middle name and then the first
With the return of the Trump administration in 2025, many couples are asking the critical question: “Are K-1 Fiancé(e) visas (hereinafter “fianc(é)”) affected by Trump’s new immigration policies?” While there is currently no outright ban on K-1 fianc(é) visas, applicants should be prepared for significant changes in processing, increased
A 214(b) refusal in U.S. immigration law refers to a specific section of the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) that is often cited when a U.S. consular officer denies a nonimmigrant visa application. This section is often seen with individuals applying for B-1/ B-2 Visitor Visas but it is applicable
Effective immediately, the United States Department of State (“DOS”) has revised the requirements for interview waiver eligibility (commonly referred to as dropbox eligibility) to applicants renewing a nonimmigrant visa in the classification that expired within the past twelve (“12”) months. Previously, some nonimmigrant visa applicants were eligible to renew through
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has updated its guidance effective immediately regarding when students who are in either F or M nonimmigrant visa classification may be eligible for Optional Practical Training (“OPT”) extensions for Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (“STEM”) field. The updated guidance, which is found
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