News & Resources

House Introduces Legislation to Increase Immigrant Visas for Foreign Doctors and Nurses

May 15, 2020

The United States House of Representatives has introduced companion legislation to the recently proposed Senate bill which would increase the number of immigrant visas issued to foreign doctors and nurses. Known as the “Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act,” the new legislation, if enacted, would authorize immigrant visas to qualified foreign nationals

United States Federal Court Judge Denies TRO Filed Against Trump’s Immigration Ban to Protect Children

May 14, 2020

A U.S. Federal Court Judge has denied a request for a Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) filed against U.S. President Trump’s immigration ban. The TRO petition, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of Oregon, sought to temporarily block part of the Executive Order (“EO”) in order to protect family-based

United States CBP Reports Sharp Increase on Electronic Devices Searches for 2019 Fiscal Year

May 12, 2020

The United States Customs and Border Protection Agency (“CBP”) has released statistics on the number of border searches conducted on electronic devices for the 2019 Fiscal Year. During the year, more than 414 million travelers arrived through air, land and sea Ports of Entry (“POE”), and of that total number,

United States Senate Introduces Legislation to Increase Immigrant Visas for Foreign Doctors and Nurses

May 6, 2020

New legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate to grant unused immigrant visas to foreign healthcare professionals to help fight the coronavirus. The Senate bill would authorize up to 25,000 immigrant visas for foreign nurses and up to 15,000 for foreign doctors. The legislation would also allow the

Trump’s Immigration Ban May Result in More Employment-Based Immigrant Visas Being Issued

May 5, 2020

United States President Donald Trump’s Executive Order (“EO”) banning certain immigrants from immigrating may end up increasing the number of visas available for employment-based immigrant visa categories. Employment-based immigrant visas are capped at 140,000 worldwide per fiscal year while family-based immigrant visas are limited to roughly 250,000 per year. The

Update on Visa Chargeability for Hong Kong Persons from the President’s Executive Order

September 12, 2020

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

Important Notice for K Visa Applicants Affected by COVID-19

September 2, 2020

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

U.S. Embassy in Manila Resumes Limited In-Person Passport Service Operations on September 1st

September 1, 2020

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

Department of States Expands Non-Immigrant Visa In-Person Interview Waivers

August 31, 2020

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.

House of Representatives Passes Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act

August 28, 2020

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

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

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