As economies worldwide begin to re-open, some companies and individuals are thinking about resuming international travel. If international travel is required for your work or other reasons, be prepared for
DHS/SEVP Announce Changes to Temporary Exemptions for F-1 and M-1 Students Taking Online Courses During Fall 2020
On July 6, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced modifications to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) exemptions for F-1 and M-1 nonimmigrant students who will be
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Status of U.S. Consular Operations
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many U.S. Consulates and Embassies closed temporarily. As of June 20, 2020, some U.S. Consulates reopened, while others remain closed until further notice. Below is an outline of current openings:
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President Trump Issues Proclamation Suspending Entry of Certain NonImmigrants into the United States
On June 22, 2020, President Trump issued a Proclamation, that will be effective on June 24, 2020, suspending the entry of those seeking to enter the United States in
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Significant Restrictions at U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Italy Due to COVID-19 (also in Italian)
As an update to our Feb. 26 post regarding the U.S. Consulate General in Milan temporarily suspending its routine visa services, on March 9, 2020, the Italian government issued
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U.S. Consulate General in Milan Will Temporarily Suspend Its Routine Visa Services (also in Italian)
On Feb. 23, 2020, the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy announced that the U.S. Consulate General in Milan will temporarily suspend its routine visa services until March 2, 2020, due
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President Trump Issues New Proclamation on Travel Ban, Adding Six Additional Countries
On Jan. 31, 2020, President Trump issued a Proclamation, effective Feb. 21, 2020, imposing even more limitations on visa issuance and travel to the United States for additional countries entitled “Proclamation on Improving Enhanced Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry.” This Proclamation follows his first travel ban from March 2017 where the Secretary of Homeland Security was ordered to develop an assessment model to assess national security and public safety threats in identifying whether countries would be removed or added to the list. From the March 2017 travel ban, 200 countries were reviewed and assessed, and in September 2017, President Trump issued a revised version of the travel ban.
Since then, DHS has continued to review and assess security concerns from each country, utilizing updated methodologies, which includes a foreign government’s willingness and frequency in sharing information, and working with the intelligence community to assess risk of terrorist travel. A review of each country’s performance per the criteria established in 2017 was also conducted, and as a result, it has been recommended to President Trump that he exercise his authority to suspend entry into the United States for an additional six countries as follow: Burma (Myanmar), Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania.
USCIS Announces Premium Processing Fee Increase for Certain Employment-based Petitions
On Oct. 30, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is increasing the fee to request premium processing for certain employment-based petitions. Beginning on Nov. 29, 2019,
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U.S. to Reduce E Visa Validity for French Nationals
With only a 9-day notice, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced critical restrictions on French Nationals for E visas on August 20, 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 (INA) 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, as well as national security, immigration, and other considerations. 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.
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The United States Will Now Require Visa Applicants to Provide Social Media Information
Under a new State Department policy, virtually all visa applicants to the United States are now required to submit information about social media accounts they have used in the past
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