The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has withdrawn a final rule promulgated during the final days of the Trump Administration, which would have replaced the H1B lottery registration system with one that prioritizes cases filed based on wage level. The withdrawal comes after several...
A group of twenty-three Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, urging him to take steps to reduce processing times for applications for employment authorization (form I-765) filed by H-4...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued a temporary final rule that provides consular officers discretion to waive the personal appearance and in-person oath requirement of certain repeat immigrant visa applicants who were issued an immigrant visa on or after August 4, 2019. This...
Answer Trying to secure an appointment at a consulate has been an issue throughout the pandemic. The recent change to allow many more visa applicants to be eligible for an interview waiver (i.e., drop box) is a big step in the right direction, but it will...
Answer First off, note that the general itinerary requirement that had been in place was rescinded in 2020. So, there is a good chance your employer is not required to submit an itinerary.That being said, if your employer is submitting an itinerary, there is no formal...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) is temporarily making it much easier for many nonimmigrant visa applicants to qualify for a waiver of the in-person interview requirement. Commonly referred to as the "drop box" process, the rule expanding eligibility is scheduled to remain in effect...
This morning, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the January 2022 Visa Bulletin. There is very little movement in January from the December 2021 visa bulletin. Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category The EB1 category remains current for all countries of chargeability. Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2)...
Answer The visa "stamp" is an entry document. If the consulate has revoked the visa, it means it generally can no longer be used for purposes of requesting admission to the U.S. However, it ordinarily has no direct impact on one's valid status in the United...
Answer No, there have not been any recent changes. For now, we are still waiting to see what Congress will do regarding reauthorization of the EB5 regional center program. Congress passed a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through February 18, 2022. The hope is...
For many years, Charles Oppenheim, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, has been providing monthly visa bulletin explanations and predictions. He is scheduled to retire in December 2021, but he did make the time to provide some...
