Immigration Insights Podcast: International Entrepreneur Parole Program & Biometrics Requirement
Effective September 2, 2025, the U.S. State Department is eliminating visa waiver of appointments (otherwise called dropbox appointments) for many visa applicants. Many visa applicants and their dependents previously...more
On July 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of State announced a new policy that will significantly limit the eligibility of visa applicants to obtain visas without consular interviews. The new policy will go into effect on...more
The U.S. Department of State announced that effective September 2, 2025, the categories of applicants that may be eligible for the Dropbox Program (a/k/a Interview Waiver) will be updated, adding further restrictions to those...more
Last week, an internal U.S. Department of State (DOS) correspondence pertaining to visa processing for international student and exchange visitors in the F, M, and J visa classifications was leaked and published by various...more
Effective February 18, 2025, the Department of State has changed the categories of applicants that are eligible to waive the in-person non-immigrant visa interview appointment when applying for a non-immigrant visa stamp for...more
The Japan government further relaxed its border measures on September 7, 2022. While the number of people infected with COVID-19 in Japan still remains high, the government is gradually changing its conservative approach....more
The Japanese government has announced the second statement of emergency on January 7, 2021; however, comprehensive entry ban that had been considered was not implemented. ...more
On July 2, US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) announced the decision to postpone plans to re-open Trusted Traveler Programs Enrollment Centers until at least August 10, 2020. This announcement came just days after CBP had...more
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced its plans to re-open some Global Entry Enrollment Centers on July 6, 2020. Operations at all Enrollment Centers have been suspended since March 19, 2020 to prevent the spread...more
Subsequent to President Trump’s March 6, 2017 Executive Order Suspending travel to the US of certain nationals and Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland...more