Tag: CBP

In an effort to modernize and streamline cruise travel, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Carnival Cruise Line announced they will be implementing facial biometrics into the debarkation process at the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana. Facial Biometric technology is now available for arriving cruise passengers at seaports in Florida, New Jersey, Texas, California, […]

With Christmas just a couple of days away, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released some tips that travelers should heed to ensure smooth travel as wait times at Ports of Entry and airports will surely be increased during this busy holiday season. Prepare your documents Possess a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative document such […]

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is pleased to announce that the NEXUS and U.S./Canada FAST enrollment centers in the United States will reopen on November 29, 2021. It should be noted, however, that the NEXUS and FAST enrollment centers in Canada will continue to be closed until further notice. Starting today, conditionally approved applicants may […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented and deterred many individuals from traveling, including U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs). As such, many LPRs who traveled abroad before last March may find that their status as a LPR has expired or that they have “abandoned” their residency from being out of the U.S. for too long. This has […]

On February 1, 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a press release expressing its support for equal access to COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine distribution sites for all individuals, regardless of their immigration status. DHS provided: “It is a moral and public health imperative to ensure that all individuals residing in the United States […]

The outbreak of the coronavirus has presented several challenges for applicants seeking to enter U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field offices for interviews. For instance, it has become a norm for USCIS to reschedule interviews if any party physically present at an interview states they have traveled outside the U.S. in the last 14 days. […]

The L-1 (“intracompany transferee”) classification is utilized by employers to transfer executives, managers, and specialized knowledge employees to the United States from an affiliated office abroad. To qualify, there are requirements that must be satisfied by both the petitioning employer and foreign employee. Employer requirements include:  Must be doing business as an employer in the […]

In general, when a citizen of a foreign country wishes to enter the United States, the foreign national must first obtain a visa. The visa allows a foreign national to travel to a U.S. port of entry and request permission of a U.S. immigration official to enter the United States. While Canadian Citizens are required to present a valid passport at the port of entry, they typically do not need a visa to enter the United States directly from Canada for the purposes of visiting or studying...

On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, U.S. District Judge Denise Casper in Boston ruled suspicionless searches of traveler’s electronic devices without a warrant is unconstitutional. Judge Casper held U.S. border agents need “reasonable suspicion” to search travelers’ smartphones and laptops at airports and other U.S. ports of entry...

On January 8, 2018, CBP issued Directive No. 3340-049A in order to provide guidance and standard operating procedures for searching, reviewing, retaining and sharing information contained in electronic devices. Among the numerous minor procedural changes, the Directive outlines a few major developments: CBP is no longer permitted to access information stored on the cloud. The […]