Articles Posted in J1 Visas

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The State Department Announces New Visa Interview Waiver Restrictions Effective February 18th

On February 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced new changes to the Visa Interview Waiver program, further adding to the unpredictability of the Trump administration. Among these changes, the State Department has limited the categories of non-immigrants who are eligible to receive waivers of the in-person interview…

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U.S. Embassies Issue Record Breaking 5.2 Million Nonimmigrant Visas and 281,000+ Immigrant Visas Worldwide in FY 2024

On May 13, 2024, the State Department announced record breaking milestones including the issuance of a whopping 5.2 million nonimmigrant visas at U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide in the first half of fiscal year 2024 – more than any previous year over the same period. In the past six months…

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New Year, Big Victories in Worldwide Visa Operations

The past year saw big victories for worldwide visa operations. The Department of State recently provided statistics summarizing its visa processing capacity in the year 2023. The recent data shows tremendous advancement in visa processing capacity at Consular posts globally and provides a strong outlook for visa processing in the…

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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…

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USCIS Announces Expansion of Premium Processing for Applicants Seeking to Change into F, M, or J Nonimmigrant Status

The news you have been waiting for is finally here. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the expansion of premium processing for applicants filing Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, and seeking a change of status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2 nonimmigrant status. For the…

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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…

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Important Announcements for F or M International Students and Increases in Fees Starting May 30, 2023

In this blog post, we alert our readers to a new broadcast message issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) provided updated guidance explaining that Consular officers have the authority to issue F or M student visas for up to…

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State Department Announces Continuation of its Interview Waiver Policy for Certain Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants until December 2023

Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas break with your families. In this blog post, we share a new update from the State Department regarding the continuation of its interview waiver policy for certain nonimmigrant visa types. In a new announcement, the Secretary of State has…

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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…

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F/M/J Visa Applicants who are Residents of Russia can now apply at U.S. Missions Kazakhstan, Belgrade, and Yerevan

Happy Monday! Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! In this blog post we share some great news for Russian nationals seeking F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa interviews. On January 21, 2022, the Department of State announced that the agency has now designated several posts overseas to process these nonimmigrant visa applications…

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