Tag: visit_usa

Many immigrants and visitors to the United States are often unsure how USCIS defines a day. Although it may not seem like a major issue, miscalculating days either within or out of the United States can have major consequences for foreign nationals either immigrating to or visiting the U.S. It is helpful to divide this […]

If you are regularly selected for additional screening or face other difficulties with security while traveling, you may want to look into the Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP). TRIP is managed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and aims to address these difficulties that travelers have experienced in transportation hubs or crossing the U.S. […]

If you’re a frequent traveler and are tired of waiting in seemingly endless lines at the airport or customs, Global Entry, NEXUS and TSA PreCheck are some options you may want to consider.  Global Entry Global Entry is a program created by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk […]

A consular officer may recommend a waiver for most grounds of inadmissibility under INA § 212(a). Some grounds of inadmissibility, however, cannot be waived, including INA §§ 212(a)(3)(A)(i)(I), 212(a)(3)(A)(ii), 212(a)(3)(A)(iii), 212(a)(3)(C), 212(a)(3)(E)(i) and 212(a)(3)(E)(ii). Regardless, waivers are only available to applicants that otherwise qualify for the visa classification being sought, and, even then, there is […]

The legalization of marijuana in Canada is scheduled for the summer of 2018. There is a lot of speculation surrounding how it will impact travel to the U.S. Experts are predicting that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will ask travelers if they have ever smoked marijuana in the past. Travelers must be very careful when […]

On April 10, 2018, the President announced that travel restrictions against the nation of Chad will be removed. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has determined that Chad has raised its security standards to meet the baseline U.S. national security requirements.  According to DHS, Chad has made significant progress toward modernizing its passport documents, regularizing […]

The Trump administration has just announced plans to start requiring a majority of visa applicants to turn over five years of social media history when applying for entry into the U.S.; countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program would be exempt from this new requirement. The move follows the President’s emphasis on “extreme vetting” and […]

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a foreign national can be found inadmissible to the United States for both a nonimmigrant and immigrant visa for a number of reasons, one reason being that you are likely to become a public charge. If a consular officer believes an applicant is likely to become “primarily dependent […]

On September 24, 2017, President Trump issued travel ban 3.0, via Presidential Proclamation, which suspends the entry of certain nationals of eight designated countries — Chad, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, North Korea, Venezuela and Somalia. However, these entry restrictions may be waived on a case-by-case basis. To qualify for a waiver, a consular officer or […]

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 […]