The U.S. Embassy in Russia has announced that starting August 23, 2017, all nonimmigrant visa (NIV) operations across Russia will be suspended. Beginning September 1, 2017, nonimmigrant visa interviews will be conducted only at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and interviews at the St. Petersburg, Yekaterininburg and Vladivostok will be cancelled. What is the Reason [...]
In the era of increased immigration enforcement under President Trump, our foreign national clients and readers are increasingly asking about the requirements on carrying specific immigration documents with them while they are in the U.S. – whether [...]
There has been a tremendous amount of discussion and comment on President Trump's executive order banning certain travelers from the seven countries; however, one provision of the executive order which has a significant impact on many visa holders from all countries is the suspension of the interview waiver program (commonly called "dropbox") which allows visa stamp [...]
Many USCIS applications (normally those which result in the production of a "secure document") require the applicant provide digital biometrics at a USCIS office. In most cases, the biometrics process includes digital fingerprinting and a digital photo. Many applicants who need to submit to the required biometrics are able to do so in the closest USCIS [...]
As of January 21st, 2016, the U.S. began implementing changes under the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 (the Act). Under the Act, travelers in the following categories are no longer eligible to travel or be admitted to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP): Nationals of VWP countries [...]
Foreign nationals who are in the U.S. on a nonimmigrant status are aware (we hope) that normally they need to have a valid U.S. visa stamp in order to reenter the U.S. after a trip [...]
The summer has traditionally been a busy traveling season and as the summer start to approach and many of our clients and readers start making international travel plans, we see an increased flow of inquiries and consultations regarding travel and passport expiration dates. Most often the question is, What should be the duration of the [...]
After the recent earthquake in Nepal, our office is receiving a number of inquiries by Nepali nationals regarding relief options and alternatives in various U.S. immigration situations. USCIS has also indicated that they would provide relief in a number of situations understanding that a disaster may affect the ability of an individual to maintain status [...]
This week the House Homeland Security Committee will consider legislation to change background checks requirements of the Visa Waiver Program for individuals who come to the United States, amidst growing concerns about extremist groups like ISIS. What is the Visa Waiver Program? The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) has been in place since 1986, and allows [...]
The U.S. Consulate in Kingston, Jamaica has announced that effective October 31, 2014, it will restrict the ability of certain (but not all) third-country nationals (TCNs) to apply for and obtain a U.S. visa stamp at the Kingston Consular Section. TCN Visa Stamp Application Restrictions Effective October 31, 2014 Effective October 31, 2014, the U.S. [...]
