As we previously reported, President Biden is rescinding the international travel restrictions that have drastically hindered US business and tourist travel for almost 2 years. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, November 8, 2021, travelers will no longer need a valid National Interest Exception if they have been in China, Iran, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, or India within the past 14 days. Instead, they – and all air travelers to the US, with some very limited exceptions – will have to prove they are “fully vaccinated” before boarding a US-bound flight.
Continue Reading US Opens Flights to Fully Vaccinated Travelers – What Does It Mean for You and Your Family?
Immigrant Visas
Travel Ban Expanded to Include Nigeria, Eritrea, Tanzania, Sudan, Myanmar, and Kyrgyzstan
On January 31, 2020, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation amending Presidential Proclamation 9723, commonly called the “Travel Ban.” This new proclamation imposes travel restrictions on certain nationals of countries the administration has determined to have inadequate identity-management practices, national security and public safety information practices, and otherwise pose a national security or public-safety risk.
Continue Reading Travel Ban Expanded to Include Nigeria, Eritrea, Tanzania, Sudan, Myanmar, and Kyrgyzstan
Lots of Smoke, No Fire – The Debate Continues Around the Elimination of the Per-Country Limit for Employment-Based Green Cards
On September 19, 2019, Congress tried and failed to eliminate the per-country limit for employment-based green cards. This latest effort, a bill known as the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 (HR 1044) easily passed in the House 365-65, but stalled in the Senate where it has been blocked by Senator David…
Employment-Based Priority Dates are Stalling … Family-Sponsored Ones are Soaring
While employment-based green card applicants are seeing unprecedented backlogs in their priority dates, notably in the EB-1 category reserved for “priority workers”, family-sponsored green card applicants are seeing their priority dates advance at a pace not seen in the last few years.
This development is happening almost unnoticed in the shadow of the media’s…
Visa Applicants Now Must Provide Social Media History
Applicants for US visitor, student, and work-related nonimmigrant visas, as well as family-based and employment-based immigrant visas (“green cards”), now have to provide information about the social media platforms used over the preceding 5-year period. The updated visa application forms seek information about the most popular social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. …
September 2018 Visa Bulletin – Severe Retrogression for all countries, all categories (except EB-3 China)
The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process. The complete visa bulletin can be found here.
Below is a summary of the September Visa Bulletin, including Final Action Dates and…
August 2018 Visa Bulletin – EB-1 Backlogs for All Countries
The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process. The complete visa bulletin can be found here.
Below is a summary of the August Visa Bulletin, including Final Action Dates and changes…
July 2018 Visa Bulletin – EB-3 China Retrogresses, Other Categories Slowly Advance
The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process. The complete visa bulletin can be found here.
Below is a summary of the July Visa Bulletin, including Final Action Dates and changes…
April 2018 Visa Bulletin – Extreme Retrogression for EB-1 China and India, Modest Forward Movement in All Other Categories
The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process. The complete visa bulletin can be found here.
Below is a summary of the March Visa Bulletin, including Final Action Dates and changes…
March 2018 Visa Bulletin – Limited Forward Movement in Every Category
The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process. The complete visa bulletin can be found here.
Below is a summary of the March Visa Bulletin, including Final Action Dates and changes…