The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has issued policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual clarifying that a sole proprietorship may not file a Form I-129L Petition (“Petition”) on behalf of its owner because the sole proprietorship does not exist as a distinct legal entity separate and apart from
American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) members, of whom Enterline and Partners Consulting lawyers are also members, have reported that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has begun issuing five-year Advance Parole documents to applicants valid for five years. This is apparently for individuals who are now eligible for
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) is updating its Policy Manual regarding maximum validity for Employment Authorization Documents (“EAD”) issued to certain non-U.S. citizens. Non-U.S. citizens (i.e. those in the United States without Green Cards) must have employment authorization in order to work legally inside the United States.
Enterline and Partners Consulting lawyers are members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”). It often provides helpful tips, updates and information to its lawyer members and for the public. AILA provides the following flyer to help clients with long-pending USCIS cases understand the broader context of current processing delays.
LATEST UPDATE (January 2026): President Trump Suspends the Diversity Visa (Green Card Lottery) Program According to the latest reports from U.S. government sources and media outlets, President Donald Trump has issued an order to suspend the Diversity Visa (DV) Program. This decision was made citing serious national security concerns following
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 applies primarily to individuals applying for visitor visas (B-1 for business visitors and B-2 for
With the ongoing political deadlock in Washington D.C., Congress has been unable to pass any of the spending bills needed to keep the U.S. Government open beyond September 30, 2023. Unless any of the spending bills are passed and signed into law, funding for government agencies will run out of
The U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) has announced that all receipts for payment of Machine-Readable Visa (“MRV”) fees issued before October 1, 2022 will expire September 30, 2023. There will be no extensions of fee validity. Applicants must schedule an appointment or submit an interview waiver application before September 30,
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) recently launched a new online form allowing individuals, attorneys, and accredited representatives to request an in-person meeting at their local field offices without having to call the USCIS Contact Center. The new online appointment request form enables both individuals and their legal
The family-based third preference immigrant visa category (“F3”) is a type of visa available to U.S. citizens who are looking to bring their married children to the United States. This immigrant visa category is in high demand and there are yearly quotas for visas. As a result, the waiting period
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
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
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
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