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
Most countries require foreign nationals to have a passport valid for at least six (6) months prior to the date of entry. The U.S. also has similar rules for entry and also for the issuance of a visa. While many countries have agreements with the United States whereby their national’s
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,
All immigrant visa applicants (i.e. those applying for a Green Card) are required to complete a medical exam at a designated clinic by a panel physician as part of the process. The purpose of the exam is to ensure that applicants are not carriers of any serious infectious diseases or
The United States Department of State (“DOS”) is now requiring immigrant visa applicants to apply for immigrant visas in the consular district designated for their place of residence or in their country of nationality. Effective immediately, if an immigrant visa applicant would like to transfer his or her pending immigrant
Learn who can you sponsor as a U.S. citizen for family-based visas. While the U.S. family-based immigration system offers a way for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (“Green Card Holders”) to sponsor relatives, not everyone can be a sponsor and not all family members qualify. In this guide, we
Reuniting families is one of the most meaningful aspects of the U.S. immigration system. While sponsoring a family member is a common path, the timeline can vary considerably. Having a better idea of how long does it take to sponsor a family member can help you plan ahead and avoid
The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (“RIA”) made significant changes to the U.S. EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. This program enables international investors and their immediate family members to apply for U.S. Permanent Residency and obtain “green cards” by making a significant investment in a U.S. company and creating
On July 4, 2025, U.S. President Trump signed into law a Reconciliation Bill passed by both houses of Congress. Among many U.S. immigration-related provisions, the Bill includes new fees for various immigration-related applications. In most cases, these fees are in addition to existing fees. The fees listed are minimum fees that
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