U.S. District Court Rules to Overturn EB-5 Regulations; Investment Amount Reduced to $500,000 – for Now.

June 25, 2021

On June 22, 2021, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California issued an order granting summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff, Behring Regional Center, in the lawsuit Behring filed against the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). The order was given in the matter of Behring

AILA – The Non-Immigrant Visa Interview Waiver Process

June 21, 2021

Individuals who are required to obtain a visa to enter the United States must apply at a U.S. consulate abroad. A critical part of the application process involves an in-person interview at the consulate to verify information in the application and ask questions about eligibility for the visa. If the visa

USCIS Announces New Policy Highlights for Expedited Processing

June 15, 2021

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has released a new policy update pertaining to expedited processing. Under the updated criteria, USCIS provides further guidance as to whether expedited processing may be warranted. The new policy highlights include the following: Clarifies criteria and circumstances under which USCIS will generally

What is a Proxy Marriage and Can it Be Filed with USCIS?

June 14, 2021

The term proxy marriage refers to the ceremony performed where one or both members of the party to the marriage are not physically present at the ceremony. Although unrecognized in most U.S. jurisdictions, some jurisdictions not only recognize online marriages but they have streamlined the process making it easy for

U.S. Citizens May Return to the United States on Expired Passports

June 2, 2021

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (“CBP”) and the Department of State (“DOS”) have announced that beginning May 21, 2021, U.S. citizens will be able to return to the United States on an expired U.S. passport until December 31, 2021, if they: are a U.S. citizen. are currently abroad seeking

What Is A U.S. Visa, Visa Stamp And Visa Foil And What Are These Used For?

May 22, 2024

In U.S. immigration matters, a visa is a document that allows a foreign national to enter the United States for a specific purpose, such as tourism, work, study, family visits (a nonimmigrant visa) or to immigrate (an immigrant visa). It is typically a stamp or sticker placed in the foreign

What is the PERM Process for U.S. Immigration Through Employment?

May 20, 2024

The U.S. labor certification process, also known as the PERM (Program Electronic Review Management) process, is a crucial step in obtaining certain employment-based immigrant visas and lawful permanent residence in the United States. Here’s an overview of the process. Obtaining a Job Offer: Prospective applicants for a job in the

What is the Difference Between a Visa Backlog and Retrogression?

May 2, 2024

Under U.S. immigration law there are several types of immigrant visas. We can generally break these into family based immigrant visas and employment and investment based immigrant visas. Under the family based immigrant visas, there are two subcategories. Immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, parents and unmarried

United States And Vietnam Sign A Memorandum Of Cooperation On Culture And People-To-People Ties

April 17, 2024

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

DHS Announces Temporary Increase Of The Automatic Extension For Certain EAD Applicants

April 16, 2024

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

USCIS New Filing Fees Effective as of April 1, 2024

April 4, 2024

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) new filing fees have taken effect for all files received on or after April 1, 2024. In addition to new filing fees, USCIS has also released new forms for certain petitions. While the new form edition dates begin on April 1, 2024,

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