As part of the visa application process at Embassies, applicants are subject to a background screening process. In accordance with Department of State (“DOS”) procedures the consular officer may determine that “additional information from sources other than the applicant may help establish an applicant’s eligibility for a visa” requiring “administrative processing.”
Read moreUSCIS Announces COVID-19 Vaccination Required for Immigration Medical Examinations
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective October 1, 2021, COVID-19 vaccinations are required for immigration medical examinations which are a part of the green card application process. The Service has updated its policy guidelines to require that “applicants subject to the immigration medical examination must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the civil surgeon can complete an immigration medical examination and sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.”
Read moreCDC Adds Covid-19 Vaccine to List of Required Immunizations for Green Card Applicants
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that beginning October 1, 2021, foreign nationals submitting green card applications must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The Covid-19 vaccination was added to the list of vaccinations already required for those seeking permanent residency in the U.S. either by applying for Adjustment of Status if the applicant is in the U.S. or Consular Processing abroad. According to the CDC, applicants “must complete the COVID-19 vaccine series and provide documentation of vaccination to the civil surgeon in person before completion of the medical examination.”
Read moreNPR: “How A Half-Hour In a U.S. Embassy Changed a Life”
As a child growing up in Sri Lanka, Christopher Francis was fascinated with America. After reading books about America at his local library, his dream was to make it to the United States. "I looked at the pictures or read about it and everything was just fascination about America," he tells NPR. "I knew that…in America, sky's the limit and you are welcomed and you are given every opportunity to succeed in this country." Francis grew up Tamil, a persecuted ethnic minority in Sri Lanka, during a time when there was great tension and deadly encounters between Tamils and the Sinhalese government. “It’s a very tough times we went through. Almost everyone got burnt and killed, they escaped and ran,” Francis says. He knew he had to leave the country.
Read moreDon't Panic: Secondary Inspection Isn’t Always Cause for Concern
First off, we’re big fans.
You are one of the most successful film stars in the world (if not the most successful). I mean, to have nicknames like “King of Bollywood” and “King Khan” and to be known simply by the initials “SRK,” it’s obvious you are very special. You’ve appeared in more than eighty Bollywood films, have earned numerous accolades including 15 Filmfare Awards, and have a passionate following in Asia and the Indian diaspora worldwide.
Read moreThe Nonimmigrant Visa Interview - What to Expect
One of the fastest changing areas of immigration law has been the consular nonimmigrant visa application process. What used to be a one-page application and a fairly routine mail-in process has now become an eight-page online form and a fairly rigorous interview process. Where consular officers used to engage with lawyers about their clients’ visa applications, consular officers are now shielded by layer upon layer of administration. Where consular officers used to review papers presented at the interview as part of their adjudication, they now rely more and more on individual applicants articulating the merits of their cases. Certainly some of the new measures are justified but what it means for individual visa applicants is that they will need to carefully prepare their DS-160 visa application form and be prepared for their interview. We have already addressed some of the idiosyncrasies of the DS-160 form, so in this post we hope to provide some simple tips and guidelines for the interview.
Read moreAll Visa Appointments at the US Embassy in London Are Cancelled October 28
The US Embassy in London have cancelled all the visa appointments and visa processing today (October 28, 2015) due to a “local systems” malfunction. We first received reports this morning that the Embassy sent all applicants home and told them that there would be no appointments today. At the time Embassy staff said that they would either call or email applicants to reschedule the appointments, and the Embassy has now again confirmed on their Twitter feed that all applicants would be contacted by the Visa Appointment Service for appointment rescheduling. The Embassy’s Twitter feed also confirms that the technological systems failure was localized at the London Embassy (compared to the recent global shutdown) and that the Embassy is “confident systems will be fully operational tomorrow.”
5 Hacks to Expediting a Visa Appointment (And Making It Go Smoothly)
A petition has been approved by US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) on behalf of a foreign national and she receives the long-awaited and coveted I-797 Approval Notice. She is brimming with excitement as she logs into the US Embassy/Consulate’s online visa appointment system to schedule the appointment to get the visa stamped in her passport. But the next available appointment is weeks away. And she needs to travel to the US as soon as possible. What to do?
Read more10 Ways to Be Proactive and Avoid Stressful Immigration Situations
Immigration applications and interviews are stressful! As an immigration lawyer and an immigrant, I know the anxiety and pressure firsthand. Collecting information for an application is time consuming; enduring delayed visa applications can be frustrating; and being refused admission at a port of entry or being denied a visa can be disastrous. Most of these can be minimized and some avoided altogether with some advance planning. Here we try to identify some essential things foreign nationals can do to remain in valid immigration status and avoid problems.
Read moreAll US Embassies and Consulates Will Be Closed on October 9
The State Department informed the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that due to a Department of State consular systems upgrade, consular operations at all US Embassies and Consulates will be closed to the public on Friday, October 9, 2015. Individuals who already have an appointment scheduled for October 9 will be contacted to reschedule. Application Service Centers (ASCs) connected to certain posts may also experience closures. Applicants should review individual consular websites for additional information in the coming week, and also should prepare for possible delays in visa issuance after this date.