News & Resources

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.

CBP Pilot Program to Assess DNA Collection Samples

January 15, 2020

United States Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) has commenced a 90-day small scale pilot program aimed at collecting DNA samples from certain individuals who are currently in federal custody within the Detroit Sector and the Eagle Pass Port of Entry in Southwestern Texas. The purpose of the pilot program according

How Long Do I Have to Wait for My EB-5 Petition to Be Approved?

January 6, 2020

Most of my clients ask me this question and there is a lot of confusion about the processing times visa waiting times. As a refresher, there is a 3-step process to obtaining lawful permanent residence in the U.S. via the EB-5 immigrant investor visa category. First, an investor files a

Immigrate to the United States if You Have Exceptional Ability in Science, Art or Business – The EB-2 visa

December 27, 2019

Are you a person with exceptional ability in science, art or business? Then you may qualify to immigrate to the United States and pursue a career in your area of expertise via the Employment Based Second Preference visa category, or EB-2 visa. To qualify as a person of exceptional ability

David Enterline Speaks at E-2 Treaty Investor Visa Seminar in Bien Hoa

December 24, 2019

David Enterline of Enterline and Partners Consulting spoke at an E-2 Treaty Investor seminar at the Mira Central Park Hotel in Bien Hoa on December 14, 2019. The E-2 Treaty Investor visa provides nonimmigrant visa status for a national of a country with which the United States maintains a treaty

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

May 22, 2024

In U.S. immigration matters, a visa is a document that allows a foreign national to enter the United States for a specific purpose, such as tourism, work, study, family visits (a nonimmigrant visa) or to immigrate (an immigrant visa). It is typically a stamp or sticker placed in the foreign

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

May 20, 2024

The U.S. labor certification process, also known as the PERM (Program Electronic Review Management) process, is a crucial step in obtaining certain employment-based immigrant visas and lawful permanent residence in the United States. Here’s an overview of the process. Obtaining a Job Offer: Prospective applicants for a job in the

What Is An Alien Registration Number And What Is It For?

May 9, 2024

The U.S. Alien Registration Number, commonly abbreviated as an A-Number, is a unique identifier assigned to non-citizens by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). This A-Number begins with the letter “A” followed by 8 or 9 numbers (such as A012345678). It is used to track individuals throughout their interactions with

What is the Difference Between a Visa Backlog and Retrogression?

May 2, 2024

Under U.S. immigration law there are several types of immigrant visas. We can generally break these into family based immigrant visas and employment and investment based immigrant visas. Under the family based immigrant visas, there are two subcategories. Immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, parents and unmarried

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

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