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U.S. Visa

DOS Provides Update on Public Charge Inadmissibility Following Temporary Injunction

August 12, 2020

DOS Provides Update on Public Charge Inadmissibility Following Temporary Injunction Following a nationwide injunction issued by a federal judge temporarily blocking Public Charge inadmissibility from being enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Department of State (“DOS”) will be updating its guidance to consular officers on how to

Announcement: USCIS Filing Fee for Immigration Forms Changes to Become Effective on October 2, 2020

August 7, 2020

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has posted for public inspection an advanced copy of a final rule that will significantly alter many fees the USCIS charges for services, including adding new fees, establishing multiple fees for nonimmigrant worker petitions, and limiting the number of beneficiaries for certain

Announcement: Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks DOS and DHS from Implementing Public Charge Inadmissibility

August 4, 2020

A United States federal judge issued a nationwide injunction temporarily blocking the Department of State (“DOS”) and the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) from enforcing Public Charge inadmissibility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge George McDaniels of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Announcement: CDC Issues One Month Extension on Immigrant Visa Medical Evaluations

July 29, 2020

The United States Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) has approved a one-month extension on medical evaluations conducted for immigrant visa applications between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020. Immigrant visa applicants who obtained medical clearances as well as those who had their immigrant visas issued but were unable to

Hong Kong Born Nationals Facing Long Wait Times for Immigrant Visas

July 28, 2020

On July 14, 2020 President Trump signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act of 2020 and at the same time signed The President’s Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization. The intent of this Executive Order (“EO”) is to suspend or eliminate different and preferential treatment for Hong Kong, including the treatment

Enterline and Partners Successfully Expedites CR-1 Visa with Direct Consular Filing at U.S. Embassy in Manila

July 13, 2020

Enterline and Partners recently represented a newlywed couple living in the Philippines in an expedited I-130 Petition for Alien Relative at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The couple, a U.S. citizen and a Philippines citizen, were married in the United States and living in Manila. The expedited filing, which was

Are K-1 Fiancé Visas Exempted Under Trump’s Immigration Ban?

July 7, 2020

Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s April 22nd Executive Order (“EO”) as the “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak”, restricting certain applicants from receiving their immigrant visas for at least 60 days, many of our clients have inquired if

Trump’s Amended Immigration Ban Exempts Children of U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

June 29, 2020

Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s June 22nd proclamation amending a previous Executive Order (“EO”) restricting immigration to certain immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants, an exemption has been granted to children of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The previous EO issued on April 22nd formally known as the “Proclamation Suspending Entry

Actions to Take When a Client’s I-526 Petition Enters Processing Limbo

June 24, 2020

EB-5 investors and projects continue to contend with lengthy delays in the processing of I-526 Petitions. Average processing times have steadily increased over the past few years, in stark contrast to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) new Investor Program Office (“IPO”) statements that it would reverse the trend

Trump Extends Immigration Ban to Certain Non-Immigrant Visa Applicants

June 23, 2020

President Donald Trump today amended a previously signed executive order (EO) to expand the current immigration ban to include certain nonimmigrant visa applicants. The updated EO, formally titled “Proclamation Suspending the Entry of Immigrants Who Pose Risks to the U.S. Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the COVID-19 Outbreak,”

March Visa Bulletin Sees Great Leap Forward for Chinese EB-5 Investors

February 25, 2020

The U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) March visa bulletin is out and in a big surprise, the Final Action Date priority date [link to article] for Chinese EB-5 investors leaped forward by 5 months, from December 1, 2014 in February to May 15, 2015. We are looking forward to reading

Enterline and Partners to Speak at Regional Conference

February 21, 2020

Ryan Barshop and David Enterline of Enterline and Partners will speak at the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”), Bangkok District Chapter (“BDC”), “8th Annual Consular Processing Conference” in Taipei, Taiwan. AILA is an international organization of more than 15,000 attorneys and law professors who practice and teach immigration law. Ryan

USCIS Updated Policy Alert Concerning Direct Consular Filing at U.S. Embassies and Consulates

February 17, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) released an updated policy memorandum advising the Department of States (“DOS”) on adjudicating Form I-130 Petitions for Alien Relatives at U.S. Embassies and Consulates through Direct Consular Filing (“DCF.”) The policy memorandum clarifies that USCIS will no longer accept and adjudicate routine I-130 Petitions

What is Lawful Source of Funds and Path of Funds for an EB-5 Immigrant Investor?

February 5, 2020

The investment capital that an EB-5 Investor may use for his or her investment, called the “lawful source of funds” (“SOF”), can come from any source as long as the investor can prove that the capital or funds were obtained lawfully. Some common SOF are salary and bonus income, dividends

USCIS to Change its Processing Policy for I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor EB-5 Petitions

January 31, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced it is changing the way it will process Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor, moving from a first-in, first-out basis to a visa availability approach. The Form I-526 Petition is filed by someone wanting to immigrate to the U.S. via the EB-5

The United States Supreme Court To Allow Public Charge Rule To Take Effect

January 30, 2020

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Trump Administration policy expanding the government’s ability to refuse immigrant visas and issue green cards to immigrants who are likely to become a Public Charge. The 5-4 ruling, which was divided on ideologically lines, will allow the new rule to

State Department Expected to Publish New Guidelines in an Effort to Impede U.S. Birth Tourism

January 28, 2020

The United States Department of State (“DOS”) is scheduled to release new guidelines giving consular officers further discretion to determine whether women who are applying for a B-1/ B-2 visitor visa primary purpose is to give birth in the United States. It is unclear how consular officers at U.S. Embassies

EB-5 Visa Processing Time: How Long Do I Have to Wait for Approval?

January 6, 2020

How long is the EB-5 visa processing time? Most of my clients ask me this question and there is a lot of confusion about the processing times visa waiting times. As a refresher, there is a 3-step process to obtaining lawful permanent residence in the U.S. via the EB-5 immigrant

Immigrate to the United States if You Have Exceptional Ability in Science, Art or Business – The EB-2 visa

December 27, 2019

Are you a person with exceptional ability in science, art or business? Then you may qualify to immigrate to the United States and pursue a career in your area of expertise via the Employment Based Second Preference visa category, or EB-2 visa. To qualify as a person of exceptional ability

David Enterline Speaks at E-2 Treaty Investor Visa Seminar in Bien Hoa

December 24, 2019

David Enterline of Enterline and Partners Consulting spoke at an E-2 Treaty Investor seminar at the Mira Central Park Hotel in Bien Hoa on December 14, 2019. The E-2 Treaty Investor visa provides nonimmigrant visa status for a national of a country with which the United States maintains a treaty