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,
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) recently launched a new online form allowing individuals, attorneys, and accredited representatives to request an in-person meeting at their local field offices without having to call the USCIS Contact Center. The new online appointment request form enables both individuals and their legal
United States President Donald Trump has extended an earlier Presidential Proclamation restricting certain immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories from consular processing in response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. The Executive Order (“EO”), which was first issued in April 2020, restricted certain immigrant visa applicants from receiving their visas for at
The United States Department of State (“DOS”) has temporarily expanded the ability of DOS consular officers to waive in-person interview requirements for individuals applying for an expired nonimmigrant visa within the same category. Previously, in-person interview requirements were eligible for a waiver if the nonimmigrant visa applicant, such as a
We have covered several issues in our series on how to protect your lawful permanent resident status and green card if you have been outside the United States and have been unable to return because of COVID-19. COVID-19 Reference Guide If you are able to reenter within 1 year of
An I-131A visa is for lawful permanent residents (“LPR”) whose Form I-551 “green card” was lost, stolen or destroyed while traveling outside the United States, or whose green card has expired, and who have been outside the U.S. for less than one year. Such LPRs can apply at a U.S.
The United States Department of State (“DOS”) has announced the creation of a six-month pilot program under which certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants may be required to post a bond as a condition of visa issuance. The program, which was published in the Federal Register on November 24, 2020 will become
The “Final Action Date” priority date for Vietnamese EB-5 investors moved forward slightly in the Department of State November 2020 visa bulletin from August 15, 2017 to September 1, 2017. The priority date indicates that any investors who filed their I-526 Petitions on or before September 1, 2017 now have
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