NIE Validity Extended to One Year
"On June 29, 2021, the Department of State extended the validity of National Interest Exceptions (NIE) for travelers subject to restrictions under Presidential Proclamations (PPs) 9984, 9992, 10143, 10199, and…
Read More
Nonimmigrant Visa Ban Lifted for L-1, H-1B, H-2B, and Certain J Visa Applicants (Presidential Proclamation 10052)
Presidential Proclamation 10052 banning the issuance of L-1, H-1B, H-2B and certain J-1 visas expired on March 31st and will not be renewed. Applicants applying for these visas for the…
Read More
Immigrant Visa Ban Lifted (Presidential Proclamation 10014)
Presidential Proclamation (P.P.) 10014, entitled “Suspension of Entry of Immigrants Who Present a Risk to the United States Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak,”…
Read More
Biden Inaugurated 46th President of the United States Signs Executive Actions on First Day in Office
President Biden was inaugurated on January 20, 2021 as the 46th president of the United States. On his first day in office, President Biden already signed several executive actions on…
Read More
New COVID-19 Testing Requirement for International Travelers Goes into Effect January 26, 2021
Effective January 26, 2021, the CDC will require all air passengers traveling to the US from a foreign country to get tested for COVID-19 no more than 3 days before…
Read More
Summary of the Presidential Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants and Nonimmigrants
Effectively immediately, no new H-1B, J, or L-1 visas will be issued outside the U.S. until the end of this year. This includes derivative visas for spouses and children such…
Read More
Some USCIS Offices Reopening June 4th
USCIS announced that it is preparing some domestic offices to reopen and resume non-emergency public services on or after June 4. While certain offices are temporarily closed, USCIS continues to…
Read More
Brazil Travel Ban
On May 24th, President Trump added Brazil to the list of countries that would be impacted by the temporary travel ban due to COVID-19. The Presidential Proclamation restricts and suspends…
Read More
Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants
On April 22, 2020, President Trump issued a proclamation suspending the entry of any individual seeking to enter the United States as an immigrant who: Is outside the United States…
Read More
IMMIGRATION UPDATE: CORONAVIRUS
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): As of March 18, 2020, USCIS temporarily suspended routine in-person services until May 3. USCIS continues to be operational as staff perform duties that…
Read More
USCIS to Reuse Biometrics for Employment Authorization Applications
USCIS announced today that it will reuse biometrics for employment authorization applications for applicants who had an appointment scheduled with an ASC on or after March 18 or who filed…
Read More
USCIS Temporary Office Closures Due to COVID-19
Effective March 18, 2020, USCIS offices are temporarily closed to the public. USCIS is suspending in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices and Application Support Centers (ASCs) to help…
Read More
PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION PROHIBITING TRAVEL FROM SCHENGEN AREA DUE TO COVID-19
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic and President Trump signed a proclamation restricting travel to the United States from foreign nationals…
Read More
Public Charge Update
On January 27, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Homeland Security may implement their new rule relating to the “public charge” ground of inadmissibility. DHS will…
Read More
Birth Tourism – DOS Amends B-Visitor Visa Regulations
Effective January 24, 2020, foreign nationals who apply for a B-1 or B-2 non-immigrant visitor visa to enter the U.S. with the primary purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship for a…
Read More
USCIS Expands Guidance Related to Naturalization Requirement of Good Moral Character
Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services expanded its policy guidance regarding unlawful acts that may prevent an applicant from meeting the good moral character (GMC) requirement for naturalization. The commission…
Read More
9th Circuit grapples with nationwide injunctions in 2 cases
Both involve Trump administration immigration policies. A federal appeals court panel wrestled Monday with how to handle two immigration-related legal disputes that triggered howls of protest from the Trump administration…
Read More
Judge halts Trump’s insurance mandate for immigrants
A federal judge stopped the State Department from suspending legal immigrants' entry to the U.S. if they can't pay their own way through our nation's health care system.
Read More
Trump Says There’s a “Crisis” at the Border. Here’s What the Data Says (PBS.org)
President Donald Trump’s argument for building a border wall has boiled down to one word: crisis.
Read More
Trump Immigration Plan Offers a Ticket to the American Dream. The Poor Need Not Apply. (New York Times)
The Trump administration has said the immigration overhaul it announced this week will ensure that new legal residents carry their own weight, without prejudice or favor. Yet the new rule…
Read More
DHS Publishes Final Rule on “Public Charge”
On August 14, 2019, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a final rule governing public charge grounds of inadmissibility. Unless litigation stops the rule from going into effect, it…
Read More
Visa Bulletin Retrogression August 2019 – Delays for Employment-Based Applicants
The Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin published for August 2019 shows significant retrogression in employment-based categories. The EB-1 category final action dates have retrogressed to July 1, 2016 for…
Read More
