On June 9, 2025, restrictions on travel to the U.S. went into effect via Presidential Proclamation, impacting certain citizens of 19 different countries. Those impacted by the Proclamation can still submit visa applications...more
The National Interest Waiver (“NIW”) is a streamlined pathway to permanent residence for foreign nationals whose current or prospective work is in the national interest and therefore merits a waiver of the labor certification...more
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its policy guidance on Jan. 15, 2025, to clarify how it will evaluate candidates’ eligibility for second preference employment based (EB-2) immigrant visa with a...more
On January 21, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued two policy alerts, a National Interest Waiver alert and an O-1 alert, detailing welcome changes to the agency's online Policy Manual, which it has...more
On July 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) posted guidance that confirms National Interest Exceptions (NIE) issued in the last 12 months are being automatically extended for 12 months from the date of approval, as...more
Early in its tenure, the Biden Administration issued an executive order directing the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify barriers that impede access to immigration benefits and the...more
The U.S. State Department recently issued new guidance on the National Interest Exceptions for international travelers to the United States. The guidance applies to inbound travelers from Ireland, the Schengen Area, and the...more
On July 16 and 17, 2020, the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) announced changes to two existing COVID-related travel restrictions. The first creates new exceptions to the Proclamation barring anyone who has been within a...more