Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Control and Reporting Division provided important updates at the Invest in the USA (IIUSA) 2019 EB-5 Advocacy Conference. The annual event was held in Washington, D.C. on May 6, 2019. As noted by Oppenheim, EB-5 visas remain in very
A U.S. federal grand jury in Houston, Texas issued a 206 count indictment involving a massive marriage fraud scheme on April 30, 2019. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a total of 96 individuals were involved in a suspected criminal enterprise designed to create sham marriages between individuals
As of May 6, 2019, the U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) new rules went into effect concerning consular officers recommending a waiver if a nonimmigrant visa applicant is ineligible under Section 212(d)(3)(A)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Under the new rule, consular officers will be required to refer
American visa validity depends on a person’s nationality. For example, Vietnamese citizens are given a maximum of a one-year multiple-entry visa. Other neighboring countries such as the Philippines and Thailand are eligible for a maximum of 10 years multiple-entry visas while Cambodian citizens receive up to three-months double entry validity.
On April 8, 2019, USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna sent a letter to Senator Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Leahy (D-VT) regarding the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program Modernization Rule (RIN 1615-AC07). Among other things, Director Cissna indicated in the letter that “DHS is dedicated to ensuring expeditious implementation of the rule,
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
At a recent IIUSA EB-5 Forum, Charles Oppenheim, the Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division at the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) – the man who decides the DOS Visa Bulletin every month – responded to a question regarding visa allocation for persons from Hong Kong. The question
Copyright 2018 – 2025 Enterline and Partners Consulting | All Rights Reserved
