There has always been a challenge with some U.S. government offices incorrectly listing Vietnamese citizen’s names on government documents such as visas and Form I-551 “Green Cards” because Vietnamese passports list names in order of last name (or “family name” or “surname”) followed by middle name then first name. This
Pursuant to a Biden Administration initiative, on January 21, 2022, the Departments of State (“DOS”) and Homeland Security (“DHS”) announced new actions related to STEM work authorization, J-1 Researchers, National Interest Waivers, and O-1 Extraordinary Ability Workers. You can read the White House Fact Sheet here. “The Biden-Harris Administration believes
The United States Department of State (“DOS”) has extended the authority of consular officers to waive certain in-person non-immigrant visa interviews through the end of 2022. Along with B-1/ B-2 interview waivers, F, M, and J Academic visa applicant waivers have been extended to the end of 2022 under the
The United States Department of State (“DOS”) has published an interactive webpage allowing non-immigrant visa applicants to check the estimated waiting time for interviews at specific Embassies and Consulates. By clicking on Visa Appointment Wait Times, applicants will be able to identify approximate waiting time for B-1/ B-2 Visitor Visas,
Effective December 6, 2021, the United States Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) has established new rules requiring international air travelers arriving in the United States to obtain a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of departure. Under the current rules, vaccinated international air travelers may present a negative test result
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ease, the United States Department of State (“DOS”) has announced that the earlier tiered approach aimed at reducing backlogs has been rescinded. Instead of the tiered approach, DOS will focus on reducing wait times for all consular processing services while also protecting the health
Ryan Barshop, a partner of Enterline and Partners Consulting was recently featured in the October 2021 E-Bulletin of the American Immigration Lawyers Association Global Migration Section (“AILA GMS”). Mr. Barshop, who has been practicing U.S. immigration law overseas for nearly 10 years, was interviewed by AILA GMS about why he
Beginning November 8, 2021, nonimmigrants arriving in the United States by air will be required to present proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Presidential Proclamation 10294 (“Proclamation”), which was reported by media outlets to be a work in progress as early as August 2021 will remain in effect
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that in response to the ongoing COVID pandemic, it is once again extending flexibility that it announced on March 30, 2020 in responding to agency requests. The USCIS is granting an additional 60 calendar days to respond to following requests: Requests
As an additional measure aimed at reducing visa application backlogs and freeing up available resources at U.S. Embassies and Consulates, the United States Department of State (“DOS”) will allow consular officers to waive in-person interviews for F, M, and J academic visas. The new DOS policy, which will run until
The L-1A visa is a non-immigrant visa category for multinational companies to transfer qualified employees from a foreign company to a U.S.-based office in an executive or managerial capacity. There are two key relationships that can exist between the foreign company and the U.S. company to qualify for an the
In the United States, maintaining accurate and up-to-date records is crucial for individuals holding Lawful Permanent Resident status and those on nonimmigrant visas or in other status. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) requires that foreign nationals promptly update their address whenever they move. Importance of Address Updates: The
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will increase Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing filing fees. After leaving these fees unchanged for three (3) years, the charges for certain premium processing cases will increase from $1500 to $1685, $1750 to $1965, and $2500 to $2805, depending on the
The United States Department of State (“DOS”) has consular officers’ authority to waive in-person interviews for certain nonimmigrant visas from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024. The announcement, which was made on December 21, 2023 replaces the previous policy extending nonimmigrant visa waivers through December 31, 2023 and allows
The White House has given the approval for a pilot program allowing a limited number of foreign nationals who are in the United States on H-1B nonimmigrant visas to renew their visas without having to leave the country. The United States Department of State indicated that the pilot program, RIN
On December 11, 2023, U.S. President Joseph Biden issued Proclamation 10685, Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons Enabling Corruption (“Proclamation”). The Proclamation, which also includes immediate family members is intended to prevent individuals who engage in significant corruption from accessing the United States. The Proclamation, which is
On October 12, 2023, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) posted Questions and Answers to announce new policy following the passing of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (“RIA”) on March 15, 2022. With the Q&A, USCIS announces its interpretation of the sustainment period following the
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (“AWA”) is a U.S. federal statute that aims to protect children from sexual exploitation and violent crimes. The AWA was named after Adam Walsh, a child who was abducted and murdered in the State of Florida in 1981. Following young
If your nonimmigrant visa (i.e. B-1/ B-2, F-1, etc.) is revoked by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) Agency at a U.S. Port-of-Entry, it means that the CBP Officer determined that you are inadmissible to enter the United States. Once your nonimmigrant visa is canceled, you will not be
When the petitioner of an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (“I-130 Petition”) dies, it typically has repercussions for the beneficiary(s) of that Petition. The fate of the Petition depends on the stage of where the Petition was at the time of the petitioner’s death. Before Petition Approval: If the petitioner
Copyright 2012 – 2024 Enterline and Partners Consulting | All Rights Reserved
