As previously reported, the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Prevention Act of 2015, was a bill that was signed into law at the end of 2015, which imposed new restrictions on the use of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) for certain travelers. In this post, we update our readers…
Articles Posted in Nonimmigrant Visas
U.S. Embassies and Consulates Enhance Vetting of Visa Applicants
In response to a memorandum issued to United States consulates and embassies around the world by President Trump and his administration on March 6, consular officials at U.S. embassies around the world are now taking tougher measures to enhance security screening of U.S. visa applicants to prevent potential security threats…
Texas Cracks Down on Sanctuary Cities and Files Lawsuit to Protect SB4 Amid Challenges
New developments have recently unfolded since the passage of Texas’ controversial SB4 law—a law that bans sanctuary cities in the state of Texas, and requires local jurisdictions and law enforcements officials to cooperate with federal immigration authorities to apprehend undocumented immigrants in the state of Texas. The controversial bill has…
Federal Judge from Hawaii Issues a Preliminary Injunction Blocking the President’s Travel Ban Indefinitely
Today, March 30, 2017, a federal judge from the state of Hawaii extended a court order blocking the President’s new travel ban from being enforced. In a 24-page decision, Judge Derrick Watson of Hawaii issued a preliminary injunction bringing the President’s executive order to a screeching halt indefinitely. Judge Watson…
Secretary of State Orders Consulates to Adopt Tougher Visa Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants
The newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is quickly mobilizing government resources to increase scrutiny and implement tougher screening procedures for applicants who are applying for a U.S. visa or other immigration benefit at U.S. Consular posts and Embassies abroad. Reuters has reported that Secretary Tillerson has sent…
Trump Issues NEW Executive Order Banning Citizens of 6 Muslim Majority Countries Effective March 16, 2017
On Monday, March 6, 2017 President Donald Trump rolled out a newly revised version of the executive order “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” following the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals refusal to reinstate the controversial order that was originally released on January 27, 2017.…
Seattle Federal Judge Issues Temporary Restraining Order Halting Travel and Refugee Ban
Following a dramatic turn of events, on Friday, February 3, 2017, a federal judge from the Western District of Washington, issued a Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) halting enforcement of the President’s Executive Order entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” nationwide. The temporary restraining order…
BREAKING: Federal Judge Grants Emergency Stay Allowing LPRs and Visa Holders In Transit to Legally Enter the United States
On Saturday night, a federal judge granted an emergency stay on Donald Trump’s executive order “Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals” which temporarily bans the entry of immigrant and non-immigrant foreign nationals from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen for a 90-day period. The stay…
Happy Holidays from the Law Offices of Jacob J. Sapochnick
For years you have put your trust in our office for all of your immigration needs and for that we thank you. We consider ourselves very fortunate to be able to serve you and your families. Throughout the years, we have helped thousands of immigrants from all over the world…
Final Rule Benefitting EB-1, EB-2, and EB-2 Immigrant Workers and Certain Highly Skilled Nonimmigrant Workers with an I-140
The Department of Homeland Security is expected to publish a final rule tomorrow November 18, 2016 benefitting EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 employment-based immigrant workers and highly-skilled nonimmigrant foreign workers. The final rule is effective January 17, 2017. The final rule will streamline the process for employment based sponsorship of nonimmigrant…