On June 1, 2021, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued further guidance on eligibility for National Interest Exceptions (NIEs) to the travel bans from the Schengen Area of the EU, the U.K., Ireland, China, Iran, Brazil,...more
On Friday, January 24, 2020, the US Department of State published a final rule that amends part of the regulations governing the issuance of “B” visitor visas. This regulatory amendment now establishes a rebuttable...more
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of State (DOS) released their fall 2018 Regulatory Agendas. Issued twice per year (fall and spring), this notice forecasts possible...more
As part of the continuing trade and intellectual property war with China, the U.S. Department of State has implemented a new policy to limit visa validity periods and impose additional security clearances before visa issuance...more
In a continuation of the diplomatic tit-for-tat with Russia, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow announced on Monday, August 21, 2017, that it would suspend issuance of nonimmigrant visas for eight days starting August 23rd....more
On March 17, 2017, the Department of State (“DOS”), through the Secretary of State, issued a cable to all US consulates and embassies with guidance on enhanced screening and vetting of applications for US visas and other...more
3/28/2017
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Security Advisory Opinion (SAOs) ,
Travel Ban ,
Travel Delays ,
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Visa Applications ,
Visas
On October 1, 2016, the US Department of State will begin accepting requests to register for the 2018 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2018), also known as the Green Card Lottery. The Diversity Lottery Program provides a...more
This advisory summarizes key travel and employment issues if you are an F-1 student with Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment eligibility and an H-1B change of status filing on your behalf has been accepted by US...more
On October 1, 2015, the US Department of State will begin accepting requests to register for the 2017 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2017), also known as the Green Card Lottery. The Diversity Lottery Program provides a...more
It’s September 25th, not April 1st! Like a cruel April Fool’s joke, the October Visa Bulletin has just been revised and the new India & China EB-2 filing dates have retrogressed. The instructions in bold type in the new...more
USCIS announced on September 24, 2015 that it will:
“suspend final adjudication of employment-based Form I-485 applications… because the Department of State reports that the statutory cap has been reached for the...more
The US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs reports that the database responsible for handling biometric clearances has been restored and is undergoing testing. As of today, June 24, 2015, 39 posts are back...more
The Obama administration has touted a number of new initiatives aimed at encouraging immigrant entrepreneurship and retention of high-tech workers in the U.S. These are commendable and this author applauds these efforts....more
On October 1, 2014, the U.S. Department of State will begin accepting requests to register for the 2016 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2016), also known as the Green Card Lottery. The Diversity Lottery Program provides...more