06 May 2021

If I travel from India to Mexico and stay there for two weeks, can I then enter the U.S.? Or would the travel ban still apply to me?

Answer The suspension of travel from India due to the pandemic only applies to people who were physically in India during the past 14 days. If a person travels to a third country, such as Mexico, for two weeks, the travel ban would not prevent that...

05 May 2021

Exemptions and Exceptions to Proclamation Suspending Travel from India to Curb COVID-19

President Biden's Proclamation suspending travel from India, first announced on Friday, April 30, 2021, is now effective. The Proclamation bans the entry of nonimmigrants who were physically present in India during the last 14-days, and is effective until further notice.Importantly, this prohibition on entry has...

08 Apr 2021

I recently had to renew my passport. Can I use my new passport, along with the unexpired B-1/B-2 visa in my old passport, to enter the U.S.?

Answer Generally speaking: yes, a person may present a valid B-1/B-2 visa in an expired passport along with the new, unexpired passport to request admission in B-1/B-2 status. (08.Apr.2021)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online...

08 Apr 2021

Every time I need to travel by plane, I run into problems at the airport. I am sent into secondary inspection, my belongings are searched, and I am sometimes detained for hours. Is there anything I can do?

Answer It seems that, for whatever reason, your name is appearing in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security system as some type of security risk. We have seen such cases where a person had the same name as someone on a government watch list, or it...

08 Apr 2021

I am a U.S. citizen, and I filed an I-130 for my mother. She would like to visit me on her B-2 visa for a few weeks. She has no desire to apply for adjustment of status, as she needs to go back to India to take care of some things before getting her green card. Is it ok for her to come on her B-2?

Answer Technically speaking, there is no rule that prohibits a foreign national with an approved immediate relative I-130 petition from requesting admission in B-2 status. However, CBP has the discretion to deny admission based on immigrant intent. And, unless the individual can provide a compelling reason...