Category: Uncategorized

U.S. embassies around the world are implementing a more intensive vetting procedure for certain visa applicants. In the form of a three-page supplemental questionnaire, this temporary emergency measure is being rolled out in response to President Trump’s March 6th executive order which called for more rigorous vetting of all visa applicants. The new procedure was […]

On Thursday, June 1, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking review of President Trump’s travel ban. The DOJ made three urgent requests. It asked the Court to review the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals decisions blocking the travel ban, and it made two interim requests for stays. If […]

On May 23, 2017, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum concerning the H-1B Master’s Cap exemption. The memorandum designated the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decision in Matter of A-T-Inc. as an Adopted Decision. It establishes policy guidance that applies to and binds all USCIS employees. It states that “in order […]

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has upheld a lower court’s ruling blocking President Trump’s revised travel ban. In a 205-page decision, the court rejected the government’s effort to limit travel to the United States from six predominantly Muslim countries. The court’s reasoning mirrored earlier skepticism expressed by the lower courts, […]

The Department of Homeland Security has released the Entry/Exit Overstay Report for fiscal year 2016. The report provides data on departures and overstays by country, and it includes individuals who entered the U.S. as nonimmigrant visitors through an air or sea Port of Entry (POE) and were expected to depart in 2016. The in-scope population […]

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released statistics on electronic device searches. In the first six months of 2017, CBP has searched the electronic devices of 14,993 individuals. This accounts for about 0.008 percent of the 189 million international travelers that have arrived in the United States. Compare this to 2015 when CBP searched the […]

Since taking office, President Trump has made numerous efforts to reform the U.S. immigration system. He has issued two travel bans, both of which were blocked in federal court, and he has remained true to his campaign promise of building a wall along the southern border. His restrictive policies continue to make headlines and have […]

On January 25, 2017 President Trump issued an executive order titled, “ENHANCING PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE INTERIOR OF THE UNITED STATES.” Section 9 of that order, which directed the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to withhold federal funds from “sanctuary cities,” was blocked by District Court Judge William H. […]

U.S. officials have told airlines to “be prepared” for an expanded ban on carry-on electronic devices allowed on airplanes. On Tuesday, Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan confirmed to reporters that the administration is considering expanding the ban on laptops, which currently applies to U.S.-bound flights from eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa. […]

In March, President Trump directed the Secretary of State, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to implement additional protocols and procedures focused on revamping the visa application process. The Department of State has responded, and a public notice was just released detailing a list of supplemental questions for visa applicants who have […]