Congress is poised to pass an omnibus spending bill that would include a provision to reauthorize the EB5 regional center program. Assuming the bill is signed into law, it would also make a number of important changes to the EB5 program. Overview of Proposed Changes In addition...
The U.S. Department of State has posted the following updated instructions regarding consular services currently available for Ukrainians: The U.S. Mission to Ukraine is not currently offering visa services. Beginning immediately, Ukrainian immigrant visas (IVs) other than adoption cases will be processed at Consulate General Frankfurt,...
Answer Ordinarily, there is no need for the principal spouse to have a valid H1B visa "stamp" in order for a consulate to issue an H-4 visa to the dependent spouse or child. (17.Feb.2022)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For...
Answer In order to request an expedite appointment, one should check the consulate's website to determine the process for that specific post, but the general requirement is that the visa applicant first must submit the online visa application form (DS-160), pay the application fee, and schedule...
Answer Ordinarily, if an employee is abroad, the employer may file the H1B extension for consular notification. In that situation, the USCIS can approve the petition, but will not issue a new I-94. Instead, once the foreign national enters the U.S. with the approved petition (and...
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...
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...
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...
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...
