Our readers will be happy to know that the Department of State has released a new update in the month of October on the status of worldwide consular visa operations. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a period of uncertainty and created tremendous backlogs at the Consular level. As most of you…
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All About the November 2022 Visa Bulletin, What to Expect, and More!
In this blog post, we cover the release of the November Visa Bulletin 2022 and what you can expect for employment based and family preference categories during the upcoming month of November. The Department of State releases the visa bulletin on a monthly basis, which summarizes the availability of immigrant visa numbers for…
USCIS Extends its Temporary Waiver of the 60-Day Rule for Civil Surgeon Signatures on Form I-693 Green Card Medical Exams
Happy Columbus Day! We start the week with great news for green card applications. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that it is extending a policy that previously waived the requirement for civil surgeons to sign the Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no…
All About the COVID-19 Vaccine Waiver and Success Story: Vaccine Waiver Based on Religious Belief or Moral Conviction
Have you ever wondered: is there an exception to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement mandated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for those undergoing the green card process? In this blog post, we share with you how our office was able to obtain successful waivers of the COVID-19 vaccine…
Biden administration to launch Afghan family reunification portal
This week in immigration news, we share new developments for Afghan nationals. The Biden administration recently announced its plan to launch a new portal that would facilitate the reunification of Afghans immigrants with their family members. What is it all about? The U.S. Department of State run portal would provide…
All About the September 2022 Visa Bulletin, What to Expect, and More!
In this blog post, we cover the release of the September Visa Bulletin 2022 and what you can expect for employment based and family preference categories during the upcoming month of September. The Department of State releases the visa bulletin on a monthly basis, which summarizes the availability of immigrant visa…
U.S. Embassy Havana, Cuba Expands Immigrant Visa Processing to All Immediate Relative Categories
Are you a Cuban national with a pending immigrant visa application? If so, we have some great news for you. The Department of State today announced that the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba will now be responsible for scheduling all immediate relative immigrant visa appointments, including those of spouses and…
BREAKING NEWS: CDC Amends Guidance Allowing Ukrainian Nationals Entry Without Pre-Departure COVID-19 Test
Today, Americans woke up to the tragic news of Russia’s targeted attack on Ukraine, adding to increased anxieties surrounding the already uncertain global climate during the COVID-19 pandemic. To provide some relief in these unprecedented circumstances, the U.S. government and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have amended their regulations to…
Department of State/AILA Liaison Committee Meeting Q&A Highlights: What is DOS doing to eliminate the Visa Backlogs? What is the status of processing at missions in China? & More!
In today’s blog post, we share some interesting Question and Answer responses recently provided by the Department of State’s Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Consular Affairs (L/CA), in a meeting with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). The responses below provide some important insight into current immigration policies…
Your Guide to the February 2022 Visa Bulletin, What to Expect, and More!
It is that time of the month again! In this blog post, we will cover the release of the February Visa Bulletin 2022 and what you can expect for employment based and family preference categories during the month of February 2022. The Department of State releases the visa bulletin on a monthly…