Effective June 10, 2025, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in China have implemented important updates to the nonimmigrant visa application process for applicants under the age of fourteen. These changes are designed to...more
There are times when international travel may be more challenging or stressful than other times. At present, the United States finds itself in a period of significantly increased immigration enforcement occurring in the...more
Details regarding this year’s H-1B lottery, changes to visa processing at U.S. Consulates, and information about documentation requirements for foreign nationals are included in this month’s edition of Immigration Insider....more
On February 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of State updated visa interview waiver (“drop box”) eligibility criteria for individuals renewing their visa stamps, resulting in sudden drop box appointment cancellations and...more
After quietly updating consular websites, signaling a significant change to Visa Interview Waiver (“dropbox”) eligibility requirements, on Feb. 18, 2025, the Department of State (DOS) officially announced the reversion to...more
The U.S. Department of State has revised its Visa Interview Waiver (commonly referred to as “dropbox”) Program criteria, narrowing eligibility for certain visa applicants. Now, visa applicants seeking renewal under the...more
With the summer travel season around the corner, we are fielding many travel and visa application questions. Here are answers to your most frequently asked questions....more
The U.S. Department of State recently announced that effective January 1, 2024, consular officers have expanded discretionary authority to waive the in-person interview requirement for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants....more
On August 3, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) replaced the endorsed Form I-129S for L-1 blanket petitions with an I-129S approval notice that will now serve as the endorsement....more
The Department of State is proposing a new rule that would specifically allow third parties (including private attorneys, interpreters, and others) to attend interviews at consulates, embassies, and passport agencies and...more
The Department of State has delayed the effective date of the increase in consular fees from May 30, 2023, to June 17, 2023 (to provide a 60-day delay after the final rule was received by Congress)....more
On December 23, 2022, the U.S. Department of State announced that the secretary of state has extended consular officers’ authority to waive the in-person visa interview requirement through December 31, 2023. This extension of...more
On March 3, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Ukraine was designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS may be provided to a country where there is: (1) ongoing armed conflict; (2)...more
The Department of State, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, has authorized consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for certain non-immigrant visa applicants with approved...more
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has authorized consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants through the end of 2022. This authorization applies to temporary...more
U.S. Embassy Moscow recently announced plans to reduce its consular workforce by 75 percent and significantly reduce its consular services. The announcement comes in response to the Russian government’s move to ban the U.S....more
On July 14th, the U.S. Department of State announced plans to reopen consular posts for routine visa services. DOS indicates that consulates will reopen on a phased post-by-post basis, depending on local conditions concerning...more
On July 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of State announced that U.S. consulates and embassies around the world have begun a phased resumption of routine visa services. The Department of State did not provide a specific timeline...more
On July 13, 2020, the U.S. Department of State announced that certain U.S. embassies and consulates around the world will soon resume visa services. This worldwide suspension of U.S. visas has been one of several ways the...more
I have an appointment at the local USCIS office. What should I do? All USCIS offices have been closed to the public at least until June 4, 2020. USCIS is preparing to reopen its offices on or after June 4, 2020. USCIS will...more
On March 20, 2020, in response to the significant widespread concerns regarding COVID-19, the U.S. Department of State declared that it is suspending routine visa processing at all U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide...more
The current National Emergency is resulting in rapid changes to US immigration law and policy. We are monitoring those changes and will continue to update these FAQs with new developments...more
USCIS Suspends Premium Processing for all Form I-129 and I-140 filings - On March 20, 2020 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective immediately, it is temporarily suspending Premium...more
The U.S. Department of State announced on March 18, 2020, that it has suspended all routine visa services, including immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments, in most countries worldwide. It is not yet known how long the...more
In an effort to allay concerns and to enable our clients to adjust plans relevant to nonimmigrant or immigrant visa status in light of the current unprecedented situation, we are providing you with this update regarding...more