The U.S. Department of State recently updated four provisions in the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) related to visa processing for E-1, E-2, and E-3 applicants and eligible family members (i.e., spouses and children) seeking...more
On March 9, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it will no longer seek judicial review of any court decisions invalidating the 2019 Public Charge Final Rule, noting: Today, DHS Secretary...more
On October 21, 2020, the Department of State (“Department”) published a proposed B-1 regulation in the Federal Register. The Department seeks to revise the existing B-1 business visitor regulations by eliminating options for...more
USCIS Announces Implementation of Its H-1B Electronic Registration Tool - After several months of vetting public commentary, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will roll out its H-1B electronic...more
The U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) recently updated its Foreign Affairs Manual (“FAM”) guidance regarding what the agency perceives as “willful misrepresentations.” The guidance revises what was previously known as the...more
With the recent change by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to mandate in-person interviews for employment based adjustment cases along with changes to require the review of social media and to what...more
In immigration news, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 that it has resumed its premium processing program for all H-1B visa petitions. USCIS had previously suspended...more
On August 8, 2017, the Department of State (DOS) updated its Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) to modify instructions to consular officers considering F-1 student visas. The modified instructions address how a consular officer...more
In August 2017, the U.S. Department of State made several revisions to the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) that are a direct result of the “Buy American and Hire American” Executive Order (EO) 13788, which the president signed...more
Recent actions by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) indicate that employers seeking to hire foreign workers will likely face a more stringent visa approval process....more
As of November 19, 2015, the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) Chapter 9 “9 FAM” has been revised, rewritten, renumbered and relocated to 9 FAM-e on the Department of State website. This 9 FAM-e is now the authoritative source for...more
Was your petition one of the estimated 148,000 not selected in this year’s H-1B lottery? In a series of posts we will explore alternatives to the H-1B. The B-1 visa category traditionally permits foreign individuals...more