Insight, News, and Strategy on Immigration Matters Around the World
On September 27, 2023, Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas announced that Israel will join the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Pursuant to the designation, beginning on November 30, 2023, Israeli citizens will be able to apply online through ESTA to travel to the United States on the VWP.
The…
By September 30, 2023, Congress will again have to fund the government. Despite ongoing efforts by the administration and Congress, indications are that a shutdown may occur at the beginning of the fiscal year, on October 1. Should a shutdown occur, it will affect a number of immigration- and visa-related agencies and processes.
USCIS
Because…
The Department of State is proposing a new rule that would specifically allow third parties (including private attorneys, interpreters, and others) to attend interviews at consulates, embassies, and passport agencies and centers for U.S. citizen services.
These services include but are not limited to appointments for passports, requests for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA)…
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued additional Visa Waiver Program guidance involving Cuba, Hungary, and Israel.
The Visa Waiver Program allows individuals from selected countries to enter the United States for business or tourism for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa. To enter under the Visa Waiver Program, foreign nationals must…
The Immigration and Nationality Act delegates authority to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to decide whether to parole a foreign person into the United States. Parole is a discretionary remedy decided on a case-by-case basis, evaluating the totality of evidence to determine if the foreign person’s presence in the United States will provide a…
The Department of State has delayed the effective date of the increase in consular fees from May 30, 2023, to June 17, 2023 (to provide a 60-day delay after the final rule was received by Congress).
The most relevant fee increases remain:
| Visa Type | Current Fee | Revised Fee |
| Non-petition-based nonimmigrant visas: B/1-B/2, F, M |
On May 30, 2023, fees for nonimmigrant visas at all consulates abroad will increase. The increase can be avoided if the visa fee is paid on or after October 1, 2022, and before May 30, 2023, and an interview is scheduled within 365 days of payment. The interview need not take place during the 365…
A new federal law restricts foreign investors’ access to E visas by adding a three-year domicile requirement for investors who obtained their citizenship through Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programs.
Buried in the nearly 2,000-page National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), P.L. 117-263, signed into law by President Joe Biden on December 23, 2022, is a provision…
U.S. passport renewals are taking longer. Applying for renewals well in advance of travel abroad may be particularly important if you also need a visa in the new passport.
Moreover, many countries require that your passport be valid for at least 3 months, or even 6 months, beyond the period of your intended stay abroad.
For the first time in almost 20 years, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) may resume issuing nonimmigrant visas within the United States later this year. Reports indicate that a pilot program will allow stateside renewal of H-1B and L-1 visas.
The Department of Homeland Security has exclusive jurisdiction within the United States over the…
