Tag: nonimmigrant visas

In June of 2013, the Supreme Court decided in United States v. Windsor that restricting U.S. federal interpretation of “marriage” and “spouse” to apply only to heterosexual couples under the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. Since the repeal of DOMA, U.S. citizens and green card holders are able to petition for their same-sex […]

The National Visa Center, or NVC, previously only handled inquiries in regards to immigrant visas, for example employment- or marriage-based green card applications. However, beginning on Jan. 12, 2015, the NVC also became the domestic point of contact for nonimmigrant visa cases such as a visitor visa (B-1/B-2) or intra-company transferee visa (L). The NVC […]

If you are a foreign investor with plans to invest in a U.S. business, the E-2 visa category may be an ideal nonimmigrant visa option for you. With the E-2 visa, entrepreneurs, investors, business owners and their employees can move to the U.S. to develop and direct the operations of a business. Berardi Immigration Law […]

The Department of State has announced that effective Sept. 12, 2014, certain fees for both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories will change. DOS amends their visa fee schedule periodically in an effort to make the fees reflect the actual work that goes into various processes. DOS conducted a Cost of Service study that ran from April 2012 […]

The U.S. Department of State’s Consular Consolidated Database (CCD), a system critical to visa issuance, is experiencing technical problems. This has limited the State Department’s visa processing capacity. In turn, there have been worldwide delays in nonimmigrant visa issuance all across the globe. In order to assist individuals affected by these problems, U.S. Customs and […]

Summer is a busy time of year for everyone, including the United States government. In order to keep up with nonimmigrant visa demands, visa appointments have been significantly restricted for Third Country Nationals (TCNs) in Canada. In this context, “TCN” refers to any non-Canadian citizen or legal resident applying for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa at […]

In the United Kingdom, a “caution” is a formal notice, issued by a police officer, for minor offenses as an alternative to costly and time-consuming prosecution. A caution is not considered a conviction by U.K. law. Cautions were also not considered convictions by U.S. immigration law, but that is beginning to change. (What is the […]

In a transcript from the Jan. 29, 2014, web chat with U.S. Embassy London, it was noted that the Department of State is clarifying its policy regarding criminal cautions in the United Kingdom as they relate to visa issuance. “Currently, U.S. government policy is under review regarding criminal cautions in the United Kingdom. Applicants having a caution […]