According to a June 13, 2016 practice alert from AILA, appointment wait times for nonimmigrant visa interviews in India have soared. This dramatic increase is likely the result of a
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June 2016 – Monthly AILA Check-In with Charlie Oppenheim
Charlie Oppenheim is the chief of Visa Control and Reporting Division for the U.S. Department of State (DOS) where he is responsible for providing analysis and prediction for immigrant preference…
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June 2016 Visa Bulletin Update
The Department of State (DOS) has released the June 2016 Visa Bulletin that includes the “Application Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications.”
For both family-sponsored and employment-based filings,…
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Department of State Issues May 2016 Visa Bulletin
The Department of State (DOS) has released the May 2016 Visa Bulletin with the Application Final Action Date chart for employment-based applications which reflects some modest movement for some applicants.
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Summary of AILA’s Monthly Check-In With Charlie Oppenheim
On November 9, 2015 the December 2015 Visa Bulletin was released. Immediately following publication of the December 2015 Visa Bulletin, AILA “checked in” with Charlie Oppenheim, chief of the Visa…
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December Visa Bulletin Shows Little Movement But Contains Projections for Future Movement
The Department of State’s (“DOS”) December 2015 Visa Bulletin showed minor movements in the employment-based visa categories. The most significant movement was in the Indian EB-2 category which advanced by…
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High L-1B Denial Rates and Inconsistencies in Approval Rates for Indian Nationals
L-1B petitions for the transfer of specialized knowledge workers continue to receive increased scrutiny from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). As discussed in our blog post on June …
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British-Irish Visa Scheme Announced for Chinese and Indian Nationals
In an effort to increase travel by Chinese and Indian nationals between the United Kingdom and Ireland, authorities in both countries recently announced a single visa option for certain short…
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New Forms Required for India Work Visa Applications Filed in United States
Cox & Kings Global Services Pvt. Ltd (CKGS) now requires all Indian employment visa applicants in the United States to include a signed checklist and declaration form with their applications.
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India Expected to Implement E-Visa Processing in 2015
In a statement by India’s tourism minister, employers and employees can look forward to E-Visa processing by June 2015. E-Visa processing, also known as Electronic Visa Authorisation (ETA), is expected to be available to approximately 15 countries initially. The list of countries is a point of contention among the three Indian government agencies involved in making the decision, as some officials are pushing for it to include the top 15 supply countries (which consists predominantly of the United States and European countries), while others want it to include countries from Africa and Asia. The list will likely include: United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia; and will not include: Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Afghanistan. When E-Visa processing is finally implemented, foreign travelers will be able to make online visa applications and receive approvals within three to five working days. Upon arrival in India, foreign travelers will be eligible to remain in the country for up to 30 days.
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