USCIS Updates Policy Manual on Family-Based Immigrant Visa Approvals

May 27, 2024

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has issued an updated policy guidance on Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (“Petition”) explaining how the agency handles family-based immigrant visa petition approvals regarding correcting approval notice errors, requests for consular processing or adjustment of status, and routing procedures for approved

What Is A U.S. Visa, Visa Stamp And Visa Foil And What Are These Used For?

May 22, 2024

Quick Summary: 3 Terms to Know Term What Is It? Used For Visa Official permission to enter the U.S. for a specific purpose, issued by a U.S. Embassy or Consulate Proves you are authorized to travel to a U.S. port of entry Visa stamp Physical ink stamp applied directly to

What is the PERM Process for U.S. Immigration Through Employment?

May 20, 2024

Quick Summary — The PERM Process Question Answer What does PERM stand for? Program Electronic Review Management Which agency manages PERM? U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) — not USCIS Which visas require PERM? EB-2 and EB-3 (most cases) Who files the PERM application? The U.S. employer — not the foreign

United States And Vietnam Sign A Memorandum Of Cooperation On Culture And People-To-People Ties

April 17, 2024

The U.S. Department of State has announced a signing a Memorandum of Cooperation on Culture and People-to-People Ties between the United States and Vietnam. See the post on the USDOS website here. “Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Liz Allen and Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield met

DHS Announces Temporary Increase Of The Automatic Extension For Certain EAD Applicants

April 16, 2024

The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced a Temporary Final Rule (“TFR”) providing that the automatic extension period applicable to expiring Employment Authorization Documents (“EADs”) for renewal applicants who have filed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, will be increased from

What is Lawful Source of Funds and Path of Funds for an EB-5 Immigrant Investor?

February 5, 2020

The investment capital that an EB-5 Investor may use for his or her investment, called the “lawful source of funds” (“SOF”), can come from any source as long as the investor can prove that the capital or funds were obtained lawfully. Some common SOF are salary and bonus income, dividends

USCIS to Change its Processing Policy for I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor EB-5 Petitions

January 31, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced it is changing the way it will process Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor, moving from a first-in, first-out basis to a visa availability approach. The Form I-526 Petition is filed by someone wanting to immigrate to the U.S. via the EB-5

The United States Supreme Court To Allow Public Charge Rule To Take Effect

January 30, 2020

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Trump Administration policy expanding the government’s ability to refuse immigrant visas and issue green cards to immigrants who are likely to become a Public Charge. The 5-4 ruling, which was divided on ideologically lines, will allow the new rule to

State Department Expected to Publish New Guidelines in an Effort to Impede U.S. Birth Tourism

January 28, 2020

The United States Department of State (“DOS”) is scheduled to release new guidelines giving consular officers further discretion to determine whether women who are applying for a B-1/ B-2 visitor visa primary purpose is to give birth in the United States. It is unclear how consular officers at U.S. Embassies

USCIS Scheduled to Increase Business Visa Application Filing Fees

January 21, 2020

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) is scheduled to increase its filing and processing fees for business visas in 2020. Below are examples of the proposed increased fees by visa category: L-1 and H-1B Visas: L-1 visa petitions (for temporary workers, non-immigrant) are scheduled to increase by 77 percent

USCIS Scheduled to Increase Family-Based Immigrant and Naturalization Application Filing Fees

January 16, 2020

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has proposed to increase its filing fees for family-based immigrant visas and naturalization applications in 2020. Below are examples of the proposed fee increases. Spouse and Family-Based Immigrant Visas: Filing fees are scheduled to increase a nominal 3.74 percent from US$535 to US$550.

News & Resources

CATEGORY

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