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…
Articles Posted in Initial Interview
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…
USCIS Announces Continued Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests Through March 26, 2022
Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! In this post, we share with you an exciting new update from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that will provide relief to those who have received a Request for Evidence, Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID), or such similar request. USCIS RFE/NOID Flexibility…
Immigration Updates: COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Immigrant Visa Applicants, K Fiancé(e) Visa Applicants and Some Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants and Croatia Visa Waiver Program Initiation Update
We kick off the start of a brand-new week with some important new updates regarding the new COVID-19 vaccination requirement for all immigrant visa applicants, fiancé(e) visa applicants, and nonimmigrant visa applicants. We also share with you some new information regarding Croatia’s designation as a country participating in the Visa…
DOS Q&A Session with Charlie Oppenheim: October 2021 Visa Bulletin Projections and Beyond
Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! In this blog post we share with you an overview of the State Department’s October 2021 Q&A answer session with Charlie Oppenheim, Chief of the Immigrant Visa Control and Reporting Division of the U.S. Department of State, also known as “Chats with Charlie,” broadcasted every month on…
Effective October 1st COVID-19 Vaccine Will Be Required for Green Card Applicants
In this blog post we share with you some breaking news for green card applicants applying for adjustment of status on Form I-485, as well as those applying for immigrant visas from abroad. As part of the green card process, USCIS and the Department of State require applicants to undergo…
Success Story: Expediting a CR-1 Visa Interview at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! In this blog post, we celebrate a client’s recent success story and share with you how our office was able to expedite our client’s immigrant visa interview (CR-1) to help reunite the applicant with her spouse in the United States. We recognize that these are truly…
BREAKING: Biden Administration Rescinds Public Charge Rule Effective Immediately
Happy Friday! We bring you an exciting new update about the public charge rule. On Thursday, March 11, 2021, the Biden administration formally rescinded the Trump era “public charge rule,” which has been responsible for causing great headaches among adjustment of status and immigrant visa applicants. The public charge rule…
This Week in Immigration: USCIS Cancels Appointments on January 19-20, Countries Eligible for H-2A and H-2B Visa Program, and the Presidential Inauguration
Happy Monday! Welcome back to Visalawyerblog. We start off the week with some interesting immigration updates. USCIS Updates – ASC and Interview Appointments Scheduled on January 19th and 20th will be Rescheduled In anticipation of the Presidential inauguration on January 20, 2021, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)…