USCIS to Suspend Biometrics Requirement for Certain Nonimmigrant Applications
In 2019, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented a new nationwide requirement that all individuals submitting a Form I-539, Application to Change or Extend Nonimmigrant Status, must provide biometric...
State Department Assigns Priority Tiers for Immigrant Visas
The U.S. Department of State is working to reduce the backlog of immigrant visa applications that accrued over the past year due to travel restrictions and resource limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Operational...
Services Sharply Limited at U.S. Embassy in Russia
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia has reduced its consular workforce by 75% due to a recent Russian decree that bans embassies of “unfriendly nations” from hiring foreign nationals. As a result, the embassy must...
List Countries Subject to Increased Quarantine Period Announced
On 29 April 2021, the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) clarified that travelers from 40 countries will now have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine period to curb the spread of three new Covid-19 variants. This announcement came on the heels of an earlier...
DOL Expects PERM Backlog and Long Processing Times to Remain Throughout 2021
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) administers the PERM program, which is the first step of a three-part process for certain foreign nationals to obtain an employment-based green card. Before a U.S. employer can petition to sponsor an immigrant...
U.S. Imposes Entry Ban on Nonimmigrant Travelers from India
On April 30, 2021, President Biden signed a Presidential Proclamation (PP) suspending the entry into the U.S., as nonimmigrants, of certain travelers from India. This PP comes only one day after all U.S. citizens in...
U.S. Department of State Expands National Interest Exceptions to COVID-19 Travel Restrictions
On April 26, 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken made a national interest exception (NIE) determination regarding travelers subject to the geographic COVID-19 restrictions imposed by Presidential Proclamations...
USCIS Restores Policy of Deference to Prior Approvals
In October 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a policy change that required its officers to independently assess the merits of every nonimmigrant petition, giving no regard to prior...
Malaysia To Impose Temporary Ban On Flights From India
Malaysia will temporarily ban all flights to and from India to prevent the spread of a new COVID-19 variant in the country. The Malaysia National Security Council (NSC) has announced the following measures that will become effective beginning Wednesday, 28 April 2021:...
Suspension of U.S. Visa Services in India
On April 26, 2021, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India announced new suspensions of routine visa services due to rising COVID-19 rates. Effective immediately: The U.S. Consulate in Mumbai is only providing essential services to U.S....