Washington, D.C. – June 15, 2019: New Zealand citizens can now obtain E-1 and E-2 treaty trader and investor visas to work in the U.S. These categories, which allow up to 2 years’ renewable stay, are determined by trade treaties secured between the U.S. and the...
Washington, D.C. – June 14, 2019: The latest Visa Bulletin, published by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) earlier this month, confirms industry predictions of a waiting list for Indian-born EB-5 investors. Starting in July 2019, EB-5 visas will be available only to those Indian-born investors...
Starting June 10, 2019, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will resume Premium Processing for all remaining H-1B petitions. This completes a trial arrangement whereby USCIS allowed limited Premium Processing starting May 20 for H-1B petitions with a Change of Status. The approach was...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a caution on June 4, 2019, stating that H-1B petitions will be rejected if they fail to include names and addresses on Part 1 of Form I-129. Specifically, applicants are cautioned not to list outside counsel, clients,...
Washington DC, June 2, 2019 – The American Immigration Lawyers Association recently spoke to Charlie Oppenheim, the Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division at the U.S. Department of State (DOS) to obtain his analysis of current trends and future projections, beyond the basic...
Washington DC, June 2, 2019 - The US Department of State recently announced that it will be explicitly requiring visa applicants who seek new visas or who are renewing existing visas to provide access to their personal social media accounts as part of the application...
Washington, D.C. – May 30, 2019: Benjamin Hu, a Partner Attorney at I. A. Donoso & Associates, will host a seminar at the Chinese Culture and Community Center (CCACC) on June 5. Topics will include employment-based and family-based petition outlook for 2019, Visa Waiting List...
Washington D.C., May 28, 2019: The Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) resigned from his post Friday at President Donald Trump's request, according to his resignation letter. Francis Cissna is expected to be replaced by former Virginia Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli. I.A. Donoso & Associates,...
In a letter dated May 17, 2019, EB-5 industry leaders called upon U.S. Senate and House leaders from both parties to enact EB-5 reform. The main proposals included an increase in the minimum investment amount to US$800,000, additional set-asides for certain target investment communities, and...
Washington, D.C. – May 22, 2019: The Department of State (“DOS”) announced today that it is updating its guidance regarding photographs for visa processes. Under the latest guidance, it is permissible for applicants to show a faint smile, with no teeth showing. The guidance, set out...
