News & Resources

USCIS Adjudicator’s Discretion Restored in Denying Applications, Petitions and Requests without Issuing RFE’s or NOIDS.

July 22, 2018

In a new policy memorandum issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) last July 13, 2018, USCIS adjudicators are given discretion to deny applications, petitions, or requests without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) if the initial evidence is

U.S. Department of State Vietnam Visa Approvals for May and June 2018

July 10, 2018

The U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) has published a list of visa issuances for both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for the months of May and June 2018. There were 1,643 immigrant visas issued for Vietnamese nationals in May. Eighty-four were IR-1 visas and 187 were CR-1 visas. The IR-1 visa

How to Apply for Naturalization if your American Spouse is Stationed Abroad

June 27, 2018

Vietnamese spouses of U.S. citizens are generally eligible for green cards and eventually U.S. citizenship based on their marriage. In general, a person may only be naturalized after showing that they have resided in the United States as a green card holder for a certain prescribed period of time. However,

Changes in Immigration Policy

June 12, 2018

A series of small moves concerning the Trump Administration’s immigration policy have recently been undertaken. CNN reports the following actions made by the administration: Attorney General Jeff Sessions has issued a Decision directing the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) to refer cases for his review when such cases have issues

Update to Form I-797 – Receipt Notice for Form I-751 and Form I-829

June 12, 2018

Trump Administration Issues Executive Order Requiring Alien Registration Requirement

March 26, 2025

As posted on the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) website, on January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (“EO”) 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion”. The EO directs the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) to ensure that aliens comply with their duty to register with the government.

CDC Removes COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Immigrant Visa Applicants

March 18, 2025

Effective March 11, 2025, The United States Center for Disease Control (“CDC”) has removed from the technical instructions to panel physicians the requirement that immigrant visa applicants receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Panel physicians will no longer determine that an immigrant visa applicant is ineligible for travel based on their failure

USCIS Proposes to Collect Social Media Handles on Immigration Forms

March 12, 2025

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) issued a 60-day notice and comment on a proposal to collect information pertaining to social-media handles and associated social media platform names from applicants in an effort to verify identification, streamline public safety screening and related inspections. The proposal, which was published

What Is Adjustment Of Status For U.S. Immigration Purposes?

March 4, 2025

Under U.S. immigration law, Adjustment of Status (“AOS”) refers to the process through which an individual who is already in the United States applies to change their immigration status from that of a nonimmigrant visa status to that of an immigrant visa status, or “Lawful Permanent Residence”. This process is

Delinquent U.S. Taxpayers in Southeast Asia

February 27, 2025

While living in the Southeast Asian region, it’s easy to forget about U.S. tax obligations, especially if the taxpayer’s income is deemed “minimal.” Let’s first re-visit our tax filing requirements, where an excerpt is noted right on the last page of one’s U.S. Passport, “All U.S. Citizens working and residing

CATEGORY

DHS to Begin Screening Foreign Nationals Social Media Activity for Antisemetism

Trump Administration Issues Executive Order Requiring Alien Registration Requirement

CDC Removes COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Immigrant Visa Applicants

USCIS Proposes to Collect Social Media Handles on Immigration Forms

What Is Adjustment Of Status For U.S. Immigration Purposes?