COVID-19 has changed U.S. passport renewal. In the past, U.S. citizens could renew a passport by mail if their current passport was issued on or after their sixteenth birthday and within the last 15 years, or apply for an initial passport or renew in person at a Passport Acceptance Facility (including many local post offices)
Global Immigration
Update on Coronavirus, Impact on Consular Services
By Forrest G. Read IV on
The recent news of an outbreak of a new coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei, Province, China raises issues for employers and employees about the appropriate workplace responses. Please see our legal update and impact for employers and employees here.
In addition, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced it is allowing all…
Trump Administration Seeks to Crack Down on “Birth Tourism”
The Trump Administration is turning its attention to birth tourism again. President Trump was reportedly considering trying to end the practice with an executive order or by way of a constitutional challenge. But accomplishing the goal through regulation has been on the Department of State’s (DOS) agenda. DOS published a final rule on January…
Significant Visa Fee Increases for Australian Nationals
U.S. firefighters coming to help extinguish the devastating forest fires were cheered when they arrived at the airport in Sydney, Australia. In the past, in what became a reciprocal arrangement, Australian firefighters have assisted U.S. firefighters.
A different sort of reciprocity has led to the sudden increase in visa fees for Australians coming to the…
Rise in Denials of H-1B Visas Results in More Litigation, Instability, Report States
By Forrest G. Read IV on
It is no secret that H-1B visa denial rates have been on the rise over the last two years. Recent reporting sheds light on the litigation ensuing from those denials and the impact of denials on H-1B beneficiaries.
Sinduja Rangarajan is a senior data journalist at Mother Jones, a publication that focuses on investigative reporting,…
China’s ‘Sea Turtles’
According to Chinese government data, the number of Chinese students studying in the United States rose from fewer than 1 million in 2000 to more than 6 million in 2017. The number of these students who are returning home to China has grown at close to the same rate. In 2000, hardly any returned, but,…
Brazil Lifts Visa Requirement for U.S. Citizens
In a move that likely will give a boost to the Brazilian tourism industry, the Brazilian government has announced that U.S. citizens can now visit Brazil without a visa. Citizens of Australia, Canada, and Japan also have received this cost-saving and time-saving benefit.
Continue Reading Brazil Lifts Visa Requirement for U.S. Citizens
EB-5 and Its European Counterpart Subject to Expected Changes, Oversight
By Minnie Fu on
In June 2018, Congress held a hearing on “Citizenship for Sale: Oversight of the EB-5 Investor Visa Program.” The current EB-5 program allows wealthy individuals to apply for and obtain green cards by investing anywhere from $500,000 to $1,000,000 in U.S. enterprises. Like any other green card holders, after five years, the beneficiaries can apply…
No-Deal Brexit – Impact on EU Citizens Living and Working in the UK
By Forrest G. Read IV on
Posted in Brexit, Global Immigration
The deadline for Brexit is quickly approaching – March 29, 2019. If the UK leaves the European Union without a Brexit deal, what will that mean for EU citizens working in the UK? According to Leigh Turner, the UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations, EU citizens living in the UK will be protected. Their…
Tech Companies Expand to Canada
By Manpreet K. Gill on
Canada has been having success in attracting more high-tech companies and employees from the United States. This trend began in 2008, when such companies in the U.S. could not obtain the number of H-1B visas they needed due to the limited number available. Microsoft opened a development office in Vancouver at that time.
Since then,…