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DHS Publishes Proposed Rule to Collect Social Media Handles from Immigrant and Non-immigrant Visa Applicants

The Trump administration has published a proposed rule in the Federal Register expanding the social media information that can be collected as part of the non-immigrant and immigrant visa process. This new proposed rule is part of the President’s plan to “Protect the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the…

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DHS Proposes New Rule Requiring Registration Fee for H-1B Cap Petitioners

Fresh off the press! In this blog post we will discuss a new proposed rule that is set to be published in the Federal Register on September 4, 2019. We have reviewed an advance copy of this proposed rule and will tell you everything you need to know about the…

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USCIS Closing International Immigration Offices by March 10, 2020

USCIS has announced that it will be closing all of its International Immigration Offices by March 10, 2020. As of June 30, 2019, USCIS has already permanently closed its field office in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and on July 5th, the office in Manila, Philippines permanently closed. By the end of…

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Visa Applicants Now Required to Disclose Social Media Presence on DS-160/260 Applications

Foreign nationals applying for a non-immigrant or immigrant visa at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad are now required to disclose information relating to their social media presence on their online nonimmigrant and immigrant visa applications known as the DS-160 and DS-260 respectively. These changes were introduced early last week…

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Trump Administration Issues Memo to Enforce Reimbursement Obligations of I-864 Sponsors

Photo: CafeCredit The Trump administration is mobilizing to strictly enforce laws that require the reimbursement of funds from an alien’s financial sponsor, where the alien has requested certain types of public benefits from a government agency. The White House has issued a memorandum stating that, “Financial sponsors who pledge to…

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DHS Proposes New Rule to Restrict Admission of Aliens Reliant on Public Benefits

On Saturday, September 22, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security announced a new proposed rule that may prevent non-citizens reliant, or likely to become reliant on public benefits, from gaining admission to the United States.  The new proposal entitled, “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds,” has been signed by the Secretary…

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Immigrant Visas: DOS Publishes Proposed Rule Regarding Social Media Screening

On Friday, March 30, 2018, the Department of State published a 60 day notice in the Federal Register entitled “Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration,” proposing to require immigrant visa applicants to submit five years of social media history as part of the information requested…

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Federal Judge Strikes Down Travel Ban 3.0, Leaving N. Korea and Venezuela In the Dark

Just one day before Presidential Proclamation No. 9645, “Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats,” was set to go into effect, a federal judge in Hawaii issued a ruling blocking portions of the Presidential Proclamation from being enforced…

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Diplomatic Rift Between U.S. and Turkey Prompts Suspension of Non-Immigrant Visa Services in Embassies and Consulates in Turkey

Yesterday, October 8, 2017, the United States and Turkey announced the mutual suspension of all non-immigrant visa services, putting a damper on travel between the two nations, following the arrest of a Turkish citizen, employed at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, on suspicion of espionage. A statement released by John…

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U.S. Embassies and Consulates Enhance Vetting of Visa Applicants

In response to a memorandum issued to United States consulates and embassies around the world by President Trump and his administration on March 6, consular officials at U.S. embassies around the world are now taking tougher measures to enhance security screening of U.S. visa applicants to prevent potential security threats…