Tag: coronavirus
-
Update: Current COVID-19 Travel Restrictions for Travel to the U.S. & National Interest Exceptions
The U.S. continues to limit travel into the U.S. due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. As many are aware, India is experiencing the world’s worst Covid-19 outbreak. The country is facing a new wave of COVID-19 due to the widespread, on-going transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and now accounts for over one-third […]
Read More -
Visa Operations Update: DOS Announces Immigrant Visa Prioritization
On April 30, 2021, U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced U.S. embassies and consulates are using a tiered approach to triage immigrant visa applications as DOS works to reduce the backlog of such applications resulting from travel restrictions and operational constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The tiered approach focuses on family reunification, prioritizing immediate relative […]
Read More -
USCIS Announces New Policy Suspending Biometrics Requirement for H-4, L-2, E Applications
On May 3, 2021, Acting Associate Director of Service Center Operations (SCOPS) for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Connie Nolan signed a Declaration announcing the biometrics requirement will be suspended for H-4, L-2 and certain E Applications. USCIS has the authority to require and collect biometrics, which include fingerprints, photographs, and digital […]
Read More -
President Biden’s Immigration Initiatives during his First 100 Days in Office
When he took office in January, President Biden pledged to take several actions within his first 100 days in office to expand, improve, and transform U.S. Immigration policy and law. Specifically, he promised to roll back his predecessor’s hard-line agenda, legalize undocumented immigrants, expand legal immigration, and reassert America’s commitment to refugees. Now that the […]
Read More -
Guidance for Lawful Permanent Residents having issues returning to the U.S. due to COVID-19
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 […]
Read More -
The Biden Administration Allows Nonimmigrant Visa Ban to Expire
On March 31, 2021, the Presidential Proclamation restricting the entry of certain nonimmigrants, including H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and certain J-1 travelers, into the United States, has been allowed to expire by President Biden. It has been widely reported that President Biden will not renew this June 2020 Presidential Proclamation, put in place by the Trump […]
Read More -
Changes to the IEC program
The International Experience Canada (“IEC”) program is a youth mobility generally designed for individuals age 18-35 (from participating countries) to have the opportunity to travel, work, and/or live in Canada. The requirements vary depending on the individual’s citizenship, and the youth mobility agreement in place between that country and Canada. What happened to the IEC Program? […]
Read More -
COVID-19 Update: UK Government requires all persons leaving England to complete a travel declaration form
On March 12, 2021, the UK Government announced that it will be requiring all persons traveling outside the UK from England to complete a travel declaration form stating their reason for travel abroad. It is now considered a criminal offense for any traveler in the UK to enter a port of departure to travel internationally […]
Read More -
Current Status of Immigrant Visa Processing at Embassies & Consulates
On March 1, 2021, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) shared a briefing with Consular Affairs Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services, Julie M. Stufft, regarding the status of immigrant visa processing at embassies and consulates around the world. This briefing was conducted in light of the recent recission of Presidential Proclamation 10014, which lifted […]
Read More -
President Biden Revokes Proclamation 10014, Lifting Trump’s Ban on Green Cards
On February 25, 2021, President Biden revoked Proclamation 10014, thereby lifting the ban on green cards imposed by Former President Trump last spring. In Proclamation 10014, issued April 22, 2020, Trump suspended the entry of foreign nationals as immigrants, claiming they posed a “risk to the United States labor market during the economic recovery” following the COVID-19 outbreak. […]
Read More
