Each month, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) explains key visa bulletin developments and, when possible, provides predictions for future cutoff date movement. The source of this helpful information is Charles Oppenheim, the Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division at the DOS. The...
In February 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Kerry v. Din, an immigration-related case that deals with the doctrine of consular nonreviewability. This doctrine generally insulates embassies and consulates from having visa denials overturned by federal courts. This particular court promises to...
Since June 2013, same-sex couples have been eligible for the same type of U.S. immigration benefits as opposite-sex couples. This policy shift, however, has given rise to safety concerns for beneficiaries in certain types of cases involving same-sex couples; more specifically, the U.S. Department of...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continues to work on improving the Case Status Online system, which, as the name implies, allows stakeholders to check the status of a case using the internet. The USCIS provided an update on the progress being made to this...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice of request for information (RFI), on December 30, 2014, asking for input from the general public on streamlining and improving the nation's immigration system. This RFI is a result...
The U.S. Department of State, National Visa Center (NVC) plays a key role in applications for immigrant visas that are utilizing the consular processing (CP) option. In a November 2014 meeting with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the NVC provided some insights into how...
One of the components of President Obama's executive actions on immigration includes efforts to facilitate lawful permanent residents (LPRs, or "green card" holders) in becoming citizens of the United States. To that end, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a memorandum to Leon...
As has been widely reported, the State of Texas has filed a lawsuit seeking to block portions of President Obama's executive actions related to immigration. This has created some unease and confusion among foreign nationals who stand to benefit from some part of the President's...
The National Visa Center (NVC) has changed the requirements regarding supporting documentation submitted in immigrant visa applications. As of November 12, 2014, the NVC has begun accepting photocopies of civil documents, rather than requiring originals. Background on the NVC In cases where a foreign national wishes to...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has designated three West African countries for temporary protected status (TPS), due to the outbreak of Ebola in the region. Effective November 21, 2014, nationals of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone living in the United States are eligible...
