Summer travel is expected to remain at record high levels in 2024, continuing the upsurge since pandemic-era restrictions were lifted. International travelers should expect busy consulates and U.S. Ports of Entry. Although...more
With the summer travel season around the corner, we are fielding many travel and visa application questions. Here are answers to your most frequently asked questions....more
The U.S. Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) has granted certiorari to hear Department of State v. Muñoz, at the request of the Biden Administration. The stakes are high. It challenges the longstanding “doctrine of consular...more
The U.S. Department of State recently announced that effective January 1, 2024, consular officers have expanded discretionary authority to waive the in-person interview requirement for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants....more
On August 3, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) replaced the endorsed Form I-129S for L-1 blanket petitions with an I-129S approval notice that will now serve as the endorsement....more
The Department of State is proposing a new rule that would specifically allow third parties (including private attorneys, interpreters, and others) to attend interviews at consulates, embassies, and passport agencies and...more
The Department of State has delayed the effective date of the increase in consular fees from May 30, 2023, to June 17, 2023 (to provide a 60-day delay after the final rule was received by Congress)....more
On March 28, 2023, the U.S. Department of State published final adjustments to the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services for several nonimmigrant visa (NIV) application processing fees and the fee for border crossing cards...more
Newly released data from the U.S. Department of State shows that U.S. consular posts abroad have made significant progress in reaching pre-pandemic levels of immigrant and nonimmigrant visa issuance during fiscal year (FY)...more
In a recent interview, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services Julie Stufft in the Bureau of Consular Affairs confirmed that the U.S. Department of State will soon allow certain visa holders to renew their visa stamps...more
On December 23, 2022, the U.S. Department of State announced that the secretary of state has extended consular officers’ authority to waive the in-person visa interview requirement through December 31, 2023. This extension of...more
The U.S. Department of State’s U.S. Mission China Consular Services announced on December 15, 2022, that all routine visa services would be indefinitely suspended. As of December 19, 2022, routine visa appointments at all...more
The U.S. Department of State announced on May 16, 2022, a series of measures aimed at supporting the Cuban people and independent Cuban entrepreneurs and loosening Trump-era restrictions that largely isolated the island and...more
After an unpredictable two years depositions may once again be taken in Germany! Stricter than some of its regional counterparts, Germany had indefinitely ceased in-person depositions due to Covid-19. As Covid-related...more
On March 3, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Ukraine was designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS may be provided to a country where there is: (1) ongoing armed conflict; (2)...more
The Department of State, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, has authorized consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for certain non-immigrant visa applicants with approved...more
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has authorized consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants through the end of 2022. This authorization applies to temporary...more
The U.S. secretary of state, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has authorized consular officers to waive in-person interviews for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants through the end of...more
Join us on Thursday, October 7, 2021, for the next installment of “HR Legalist Live,” where Obermayer attorneys bring their popular blog to life. This virtual presentation will include: LABOR LAW UPDATE: WHAT TO EXPECT...more
In March 2020, the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) announced the suspension of routine visa services at all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, consular services were limited...more
On July 22, 2021, the Biden administration extended travel restrictions affecting travel between U.S., Canadian, and Mexican land ports of entry until August 21, 2021. In so doing, the Biden administration confirmed that it...more
In early 2021, pursuant to INA § 212(f) the President of the United States issued a proclamation continuing the suspension of entry of certain travelers located abroad in an effort to control the spread of COVID (the “novel...more
It’s been 14 months since COVID changed the way we travel across borders, and our ability to do so worldwide. As the pandemic continues to impact countries across the globe, the United States is seeing its lowest numbers of...more
U.S. Embassy Moscow recently announced plans to reduce its consular workforce by 75 percent and significantly reduce its consular services. The announcement comes in response to the Russian government’s move to ban the U.S....more
The restrictions on the issuance of H-1B, L-1, and J-1 nonimmigrant “guest-worker” visas, which have been in place since June 24, 2020, expired without fanfare on March 31, 2021. As a result, U.S. consulates around the world...more