The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the December 2019 Visa Bulletin. In December, movement in most categories is limited. China sees gradual advancements in the employment-based, first and second preference (EB1 and EB2) categories, while India sees little to no progression in any...
Charles Oppenheim, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, gave a presentation at the IIUSA EB5 Industry Forum on October 29, 2019, where he provided stakeholders with his updated predictions on backlogs and wait times for EB5 applicants....
Answer On November 21, 2019, a new regulation will go into effect that raises the minimum investment amount for EB5 cases to $1.8 million, or $900,000 if the investment is made in a targeted employment area (TEA). A TEA is a rural area or area of...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is scheduled to publish in the Federal Register a final rule related to the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) immigrant investor program that will dramatically increase the minimum investment requirements, among other changes. The final rule will apply only...
The July 2019 Visa Bulletin has been released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS). There are some notable movements in family-based (FB) as well as employment-based (EB) categories. Most significantly, the F2A category becomes current for all countries of chargeability, as well as the...
President Trump indicated today that he will sign a spending bill that funds the federal government through September 30, 2019, despite the fact that it does not include the funding he demanded to build a wall on the U.S. / Mexico border. The bill will...
President Trump has agreed to support a bill that would reopen the government through February 15, 2019. Congress is expected to quickly pass the bill, perhaps as soon as sometime this evening. The bill would not include any funding for President Trump's proposed wall on...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently updated the section of its online policy manual that discusses the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) immigrant investor visa program. The update clarifies that, once a petition by an entrepreneur to remove the conditions on permanent resident status...
At the end of 2017, MurthyDotCom summarized a number of concerning immigration regulations under consideration by the Trump Administration in the NewsBrief, Troubling Immigration Rules, Including End of H-4 EAD, on Trump’s Rulemaking Agenda (2017.Dec.15). While none of the rules has yet come to light,...
Most months, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, Charles Oppenheim, provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions. For the May 2018 Visa Bulletin, Mr. Oppenheim only provides some very minor, short-term predictions. Family-Based Preference Categories For most family-based (FB) preference...
