12 Sep 2019

I am working based on my H-4 EAD and was recently laid off. Will I be considered a public charge if I apply for unemployment benefits?

Answer Unemployment insurance payments (commonly referred to as "unemployment benefits") are not generally taken into consideration for purposes of making a public charge determination. As the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) explained when it released the final rule revising the definition of "public charge," unemployment...

07 Aug 2019

I applied for a visa stamp at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, but was issued a 221(g). I submitted all the documents requested about 2 months ago, but still no word from the consulate. Do I have any options?

Answer Unfortunately, the U.S. consulates in India now are generally telling applicants that a decision after a 221(g) refusal could take up to 6 months. Until then, there usually are few options. One is free to inquire through Traveldocs. However, these inquiries often only receive a...

24 Jul 2019

August 2019 Visa Bulletin Check-In

Most months, Charles Oppenheim, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions. Following the release of the August 2019 Visa Bulletin, Mr. Oppenheim discussed some of the higher-than-normal demand in various categories, and...