On October 4, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the addition of nine airports to the Global Entry Program (GEP). The GEP allows the prescreened participants to go through expedited security screening at certain airports through...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the temporary protected status (TPS) designation of Nepal for an additional 18 months, to June 24, 2018. This TPS designation was granted initially in the wake of the devastating earthquakes that occurred in 2015. Please see...
On September 30, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the release of form I-131A, a new form that "… allows lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to apply for a travel document (carrier documentation)…" from abroad if certain criteria are met. While useful, it...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) implemented a policy on November 5, 2015 that requires consular officers to revoke the nonimmigrant visas of individuals arrested for, or convicted of driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated (DWI), or similar alcohol-related crimes. The DOS has...
Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division for the U.S. Department of State (DOS), supplies monthly visa bulletin explanations. This month's update related to the November 2016 Visa Bulletin includes insights into the employment-based, second preference category for India and China, as...
On October 3, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court turned down a request by the Obama administration to rehear a case that has halted implementation of the President's Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program and the expansion of the Deferred...
USTraveldocs.com, which handles visa appointment services for U.S. embassies and consulates, has issued a public notice, advising stakeholders of a large, temporary increase in visa appointment availability. The notice states: The U.S. embassy and the four U.S. consulates in India have made thousands of extra visa...
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the November 2016 Visa Bulletin. There is no change in the dates-for-filing (DF) chart from the October 2016 Visa Bulletin. In the final action (FA) chart, the cutoff dates in the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category...
The complicated and stressful nature of the U.S. immigration system leaves many foreign nationals vulnerable to exploitation attempts by scammers. A recent trend in immigration scams has caused the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to issue a warning on its official blog, The Beacon....
Under a new policy that goes into effect on November 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) will no longer accept photographs of visa and passport applicants wearing eyeglasses. The reason for the policy change is to ensure the photographs can be easily scanned...
