As of April 23, 2024, Portugal has joined the coveted list of countries eligible to participate in the E-2 Treaty Investor program via the passage of the Advancing Mutual Interests and Growing Our Success (AMIGOS) Act. E-2 nonimmigrant visas are reserved for investors who are nationals of a treaty country.…
Articles Posted in E-2 Business
New Changes are Coming to the International Entrepreneur Rule Starting October 1st
Recently the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced new changes to the International Entrepreneur Rule effective October 1, 2024. What is the International Entrepreneur Rule The International Entrepreneur Rule (IER), was first established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2017. The program allows noncitizen entrepreneurs to live and work in…
USCIS Announces Increase in Premium Processing Filing Fees Starting February 26, 2024
As the new year approaches, we have some unfortunate news to report for certain employment-based applicants who may wish to file their petitions with premium processing service in 2024, including those filing: Form I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker Form I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, as well as Certain…
U.S. Embassy Israel Suspends Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Visa Services Amid Conflict
In this blog post, we share with you an important update from the U.S. Embassy in Israel. If you have a pending nonimmigrant or immigrant visa application awaiting an interview at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem or U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv, you should be aware that visa…
Nonimmigrant Visa Fee Increases Effective June 17, 2023
Certain types of nonimmigrants will be expected to shell out more money for the nonimmigrant visa process. The State Department has announced that starting June 17, 2023, nonimmigrant visa (NIV) application processing fees for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2s and BCCs), and other non-petition based nonimmigrant visas such…
State Department Announces the End of COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Nonimmigrant International Air Travelers and Land Travelers, Starting May 12th
Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! In this blog post we share with you some breaking news regarding the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for non-immigrant international travelers. On May 4, 2023, the State Department announced that the Biden administration will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for international air travelers at the end of…
What’s New in Immigration: USCIS Extends Temporary Suspension of Biometrics Submission for Form I-539 Applicants seeking H-4, L-2, or E Status
We have good news for applicants filing Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, requesting an extension of stay in or change of status to H-4, L-2, or E nonimmigrant status. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that it has extended the temporary suspension of the…
CBP Issuing Work-Authorized I-94s for E and L Spouses Effective January 31, 2022
In this blog post, we share great news for E and L dependent spouses! As we previously reported on our blog, pursuant to a new USCIS policy, E and L nonimmigrant dependent spouses are now considered employment authorized “incident to their status.” This means that upon admission and issuance of…
DOS Proposed Rule to Raise Several Consular Service Fees including E Visas, B1/B2, J-1 Waivers, BCC, and More
It’s the start of a brand-new year! On behalf of the Law Offices of Jacob J. Sapochnick we would like to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year. It has been a challenging time in the world of immigration law but we at the Law Office…
USCIS Policy Manual Updates Automatic Employment Authorization Policy for Dependent Spouses in E, L, Status, and Certain H-4 Visa Dependent Spouses
We are happy to deliver some amazing news for H-4, E, and L dependent spouses! On November 12, 2021, following a settlement agreement known as Shergill v. Mayorkas, the United States Citizenship, and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new Policy Memorandum (Policy Alert PA-2021-25) outlining that the agency will automatically…