Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it will "adjust USCIS fees by a weighted average increase of 20 percent to help recover its operational costs." The final rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register on August 3,...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced via Twitter that "[b]eginning July 15, US Embassies and Consulates may begin the phased resumption of routine visa services depending on local conditions." No further details have been provided.As previously reported, the consulates are not expected to...
Last night, President Trump amended his June 22, 2020 executive order in a small, but significant manner that clarifies and potentially increases the classes of nonimmigrants who are subject to the order. The original version of the executive order stated that, if a foreign national...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that routine in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs) will resume on June 4, 2020. Per the announcement, the USCIS is following guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control...
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has created a shareable flyer to help stakeholders understand the implication of President Trump’s proclamation suspending the entry of certain immigrants into the United States. The Murthy Law Firm is sharing this flyer with our readers to help ensure...
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has suspended routine nonimmigrant and immigrant visa service at U.S. consulates in most countries around the globe. The DOS is unable to predict when normal service will resume. Applicants with urgent need to travel...
The U.S. Department of State announced today that, effective Monday, March 16, 2020, all nonimmigrant and immigrant visa appointments at U.S. Mission India posts - which includes the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, and all U.S. consulates in India - have been canceled. This measure...
In most circumstances, anyone applying for a nonimmigrant visa must apply in person at a U.S. consulate or embassy and be interviewed by a consular officer. In the context of applying to renew a visa, however, the interview requirement may be waived under the visa...
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) published a final rule in the Federal Register that aims to prevent women from being issued B-1/B-2 visas for purposes of "birth tourism" - that is, traveling to the United States for the primary purpose of obtaining U.S....
Representatives of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) recently met with representatives from the U.S. Department of State's Visa Office (VO) to discuss current immigration policies and procedures. Prior to the meeting, AILA submitted written questions to the VO, to which the DOS responded in...
