Effective February 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) made changes to the visa interview waiver program, leaving applicants and employers scrambling to navigate the new requirements. These restrictions—implemented...more
The slew of executive orders published by the Trump Administration in January included references to: •Vetting and screening to the maximum degree across agencies - •Reestablishing a uniform baseline for screening and...more
President Donald Trump's return to the Oval Office is expected to reshape U.S. policies related to immigration. Many of those changes will impact U.S. employers, even those without employees on work visas. Here are the top...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
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
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. secretary of state, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has authorized consular officers to waive in-person interviews for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants through the end of...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
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
This article briefly summarizes the recent governmental guidance on Form I-9 requirements, travel, and visa processing and services, among other matters, in response to the national emergency caused by the COVID-19 outbreak....more
Consular sections of US embassies around the world, as well as US Citizenship and Immigration Services, are beginning to announce cancellations of certain in-person services, including routine nonimmigrant and immigrant visa...more
On August 9, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that over the course of the coming year it will shutter all but 7 of its 23 international offices. Offices in Beijing, Guangzhou, Nairobi, New...more
Foreign nationals who plan to travel abroad during the upcoming holiday season should make sure that they have the requisite immigration documents and instructions before they depart and reenter the United States. Before...more
On October 1, 2015, the US Department of State will begin accepting requests to register for the 2017 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2017), also known as the Green Card Lottery. The Diversity Lottery Program provides a...more
USCIS, in coordination with Department of State (DOS), is revising the procedures for determining visa availability for applicants waiting to file for employment-based or family-sponsored preference adjustment of status. The...more