On March 20, 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) implemented temporary changes, announcing that it would accept all benefit forms and documents with reproduced original signatures for submissions starting March 21, 2020. Up to that time, USCIS accepted many petitions,
The USCIS has posted an Alert regarding fee payments for concurrent EB-5 Form I-526 Petition and Form I-485 Adjustment of Status Applications on the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program webpage. “ALERT: Beginning Sept. 1, 2022, we will no longer accept a single, combined fee payment
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) is extending certain COVID-19-related flexibilities to respond to agency requests through October 23, 2022. The flexibility, which has been previously extended applies if the issuance date listed on the request, notice or decision was issued between March 1, 2020, and October 23, 2022,
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) announced new Forms I-526 and I-526E to be used by EB-5 immigrant investors seeking permanent residence via the EB-5. Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur is to be used by standalone immigrant investors who are not seeking to pool their investment
Effective immediately, U.S. citizens abroad will no longer be able to travel to the United States on expired passports. Previously, the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency (“CBP”) allowed U.S. citizens to enter the United States on expired passports and CBP extended policy through March 2022. U.S. citizens abroad
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,
Part 1 – a communicable disease of public health significance This is a common question we are asked. This Part 1 of a series discusses what medical conditions might cause a person to be denied an immigrant visa. The United States Immigration and Naturalization Act (the “Act”), Section 212(a)(1) prescribes
While the consular officer has the authority to ask a very broad range of questions, here is a list of 20 possible questions that may come up. Why are you traveling to the U.S.? Do you have any relatives in the U.S.? Have you ever applied for a U.S. visa
Copyright 2012 – 2024 Enterline and Partners Consulting | All Rights Reserved
