While all citizens of 38 (primarily European) visa waiver-eligible nations may enter the U.S. Virgin Islands for up to 90 days using ESTA, and United States citizens may enter most of the Caribbean Community Member States (CARICOM) for tourism or as business visitors without a visa, citizens of CARICOM cannot enter the U.S. Virgin Islands
Nadine T. Trinh
Proposed ‘Public Charge’ Rule Kicks Up Controversy
The 60-day comment period for the Administration’s new “public charge” rule just closed. There is currently no definition for “public charge” in the rule, but a public charge is understood to be an alien who depends on the government for subsistence, as demonstrated by the receipt of cash assistance for income maintenance or institutionalization…
Requirements for H-1B Petitions Involving Third-Party Worksites Are Unlawful, Lawsuit Alleges
USCIS has exceeded its authority in issuing additional requirements on H-1B petitions involving third-party worksites, a suit filed in New Jersey seeking a temporary restraining order alleges.
Just before the 2019 H-1B filing deadline, USCIS issued a memorandum clarifying that petitioners who send employees to third-party worksites must provide significantly more evidence to show that…
Department of State Begins Accepting Applications for Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery on October 3
Registration for the Department of State’s Diversity Lottery will be opened from noon EDT on October 3, 2017, to noon EDT on November 7, 2017.
This program makes 50,000 immigrant visas available to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S. The lottery registration and application process is conducted completely online and…
Push to Protect American Jobs: Round-up on Proposed Reforms to H-1B, L-1 Visas
Reforming the H-1B program “is an issue we are closely and carefully looking at,” Donald Trump had said during the campaign. This sentiment is shared by Congress, as evidenced by the slew of legislation proposed across both sides of the aisle.
Senator Dick Durbin (D. Ill.) first introduced a bill in 2007 to cure what…
Department of State Accepting Applications for Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery
The U.S. Department of State has announced that applications for the upcoming Diversity Visa (DV-2018) Lottery will be accepted electronically between noon EDT, October 4, 2016, and noon EDT, November 7, 2016.
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery is administered annually by the Department of State and provides up to 55,000 Diversity Visas each fiscal…
Border Agency Designates 14 Ports of Entry for Quicker Processing of Canadian Visa Applicants
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that first-time Canadian TN and L visa applicants applying for admission to the United States may visit 14 designated ports of entry for optimized processing of their visa applications. Beginning mid-September, the 14 designated ports of entry are:
Pre-flight Clearance:
- Lester B. Pearson International Airport (Toronto), Canada
…
Immigration Reform Bill Advances to Senate Floor
Following five days of hearings over three weeks and consideration of 300 amendments, the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 21, 2013, passed the immigration reform bill in a bipartisan 13-5 vote. Three Republican Senators, including Senators Lindsey Graham (SC) and Jeff Flake (AZ) who helped draft the original bill, joined ten Democratic Senators to approve…
Business Travelers from Mexico Benefit from Accelerated Visa Processing under Business Facilitation Program
In an effort to expedite visa processing for business travelers from Mexico, the U.S. State Department announced this month the expansion of its Business Facilitation Program (“BFP”) to all U.S. Consulates and Embassies in Mexico. To qualify for the program, participating employers in Mexico must meet one of the following requirements:
1) Be a branch,…
USCIS Launches New Website for Foreign Entrepreneurs
This time last year, USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas announced a new Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) initiative to create jobs in the U.S. Now, USCIS has launched a new Entrepreneur Pathways website designed to give visa information to foreign entrepreneurs who want to start a new business in the United States. The website offers a Nonimmigrant…