In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) is again extending the time period within which applicants, petitioners, and requestors may respond to agency requests. This flexibility applies if the issuance date listed on the request, notice, or decision is on or between March 1, 2020,
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,
The United States Customs and Border Protection Agency and the Department of State have extended the ability of U.S. citizens to travel to the United States on expired passports through March 31, 2022. As with the previous policy scheduled to expire on December 31, 2021, travelers must meet the following
Congratulations to Ryan Barshop, who has reached 10 years as an American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) member. AILA is the 15,000+ association of U.S. and international lawyers who practice U.S. immigration law. During his membership, Ryan has been active as a member in the Asia-Pacific Chapter including serving as its
Due to COVID-19, the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) has implemented a Temporary Final Rule (“TFR”) providing flexibility for consular officers to waive the personal appearance of certain repeat immigrant visa applicants who were approved for an immigrant visa in the same classification and on the same basis as the
Since the President’s July 14, 2020 Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization there has been much concern and confusion about whether and how the Executive Order impacts persons born in Hong Kong. The issue is whether the Executive Order makes individuals born in Hong Kong subject to visa chargeability of
Effective August 28, as it becomes safe to resume more consular operations at the U.S. Embassy in Manila and the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, posts are authorized to give K visa cases high priority. Applicants should check https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/ (Philippines) and http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/vn/ (Vietnam) for updates. The I-129F Petition
The American Citizen Services (“ACS”) at the U.S. Embassy in Manila will resume limited in-person passport service operations on September 1st by appointment only. Other routine ACS operations such as notarial services, affidavits in lieu of legal capacity to marry and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad will remain suspended. Prior
The United States Department of State (“DOS”) has temporarily expanded the ability of consular officers to waive in-person interviews for individuals applying for non-immigrant visas in the same visa classification. Previously, only those applicants whose non-immigrant visas had expired within the previous 12 months were eligible for an interview waiver.
On Saturday, August 22, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed The Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act (H.R. 8089). The legislation seeks to temporarily prevent planned furloughs by the United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (“USCIS”) by immediately increasing USCIS premium processing revenues. In May 2020, USCIS notified Congress
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
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