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
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 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
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
On July 14th, the U.S. Department of State announced plans to reopen consular posts for routine visa services. DOS indicates that consulates will reopen on a phased post-by-post basis, depending on local conditions concerning...more
On July 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of State announced that U.S. consulates and embassies around the world have begun a phased resumption of routine visa services. The Department of State did not provide a specific timeline...more
On July 13, 2020, the U.S. Department of State announced that certain U.S. embassies and consulates around the world will soon resume visa services. This worldwide suspension of U.S. visas has been one of several ways the...more
The current National Emergency is resulting in rapid changes to US immigration law and policy. We are monitoring those changes and will continue to update these FAQs with new developments...more
The U.S. Department of State announced on March 18, 2020, that it has suspended all routine visa services, including immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments, in most countries worldwide. It is not yet known how long the...more
In an effort to allay concerns and to enable our clients to adjust plans relevant to nonimmigrant or immigrant visa status in light of the current unprecedented situation, we are providing you with this update regarding...more
This article briefly summarizes the recent governmental guidance on Form I-9 requirements, travel, and visa processing and services, among other matters, in response to the national emergency caused by the COVID-19 outbreak....more
Consular sections of US embassies around the world, as well as US Citizenship and Immigration Services, are beginning to announce cancellations of certain in-person services, including routine nonimmigrant and immigrant visa...more
U.S. Embassy and Consulate posts throughout India announced today that in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, all immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments scheduled on Monday, March 16, 2020, onward have been...more
In early October, we reported that US visa processing in Turkey had been suspended amid security concerns, and that the government of Turkey had responded with a suspension of visa processing for US citizens....more
The U.S. Embassy in Paris has announced a minor change to its Golden Arrow program, affecting French-owned companies that are incorporated in the United States. Effective immediately, French E visa applicants under the Golden...more
The U.S. Mission to Turkey has announced that it has suspended all nonimmigrant (temporary) visa processing at posts in Turkey. This includes all nonimmigrant visa services at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara and the U.S. Consulate...more
On August 21, 2017, the U.S. Embassy in Russia announced that it would suspend the issuance of nonimmigrant visas for eight days starting on August 23, in response to the recent Russian decision to reduce U.S. diplomatic...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 July 29, 2016 the Department of Homeland Security announced a final rule that expands eligibility or a provisional waiver of unlawful presence, (‘‘provisional waiver’’). For readers who are unfamiliar with the provisional...more