On May 1 the U.S. Department of State updated four provisions of the Foreign Affairs Manual relating to E visas. Published by the State Department, the FAM governs its operations

Continue Reading Potential Outcomes After E Visa Processing Update

On May 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) updated four provisions of the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) relating to E visas. The updates relate to E-2 substantiality; E

Continue Reading Department of State Updates FAM E Visa Provisions

On June 17, 2023, the U.S. Department of State nonimmigrant visa (NIV) application processing fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2) and non-petition-based NIV applications such as student

Continue Reading Nonimmigrant Visa Fee Increases Effective June 17, 2023

On Dec. 15, 2022, Congress passed the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (the “2023 NDAA”), which contains two key changes to the eligibility for

Continue Reading Updates to the E Visa: New Residency Requirements and Portuguese Nationals Eligible

A complex combination of the pandemic and USCIS’s ever-increasing processing times has chained E-3 visa holders in the United States to their current employers. The E-3 visa is a special
Continue Reading Change of Employer for E-3 Visa Holders Effectively Barred Due to Pandemic and USCIS Processing Times

On Aug. 23, 2019, our firm wrote about the U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) announcement that the validity period of E-1 and E-2 visas for French Nationals would be reduced from 60 months to 15 months effective Aug 29, 2019. The effective date has now been postponed to Sept. 26, 2019.

The general rule is that different types of U.S. visas have different visa validity periods depending on the nationality of the visa applicant because the Immigration and Nationality Act requires the DOS to set country-specific visa policies on a reciprocal basis. The validity periods are based on each country’s treatment of similar classes of U.S. visitors to its territory. In other words, if a country imposes restrictive visa requirements on U.S. citizens, the U.S. reciprocates with more restrictive requirements on that country’s citizens.
Continue Reading Update: U.S. to Reduce E-Visa Validity for French Nationals Effective Sept. 26, 2019