Business Immigration Insights

On Tuesday, January 16, 2018, the new US Embassy in London will be operational for all US visa, consular,  and US citizen services.

The new address is: 33 Nine Elms Lane, London SW11 7US.  Any appointments already scheduled will be held at the new address.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City has announced that, as of July 1, 2012, individuals seeking to renew their visas at the embassy and consulates in Mexico no longer must attend a visa interview appointment, as long as their current visas are still valid or expired within the past 48 months. Previously, only those whose visas had expired within the past 12 months were exempt from interview.

Note that even those applicants who are exempt from interview under the new policy must still attend an appointment at the Applicant Service Center ("ASC") for biometrics and fingerprinting. Additional ...

Since 2009, the Department of State has been phasing in a new, online visa application form at embassies worldwide.  The new DS-160 combines all previously used forms (DS-156, DS-157 and DS-158) for all nonimmigrant visa applications except Ks and Es.  DOS's goal is to use the DS-160 exclusively worldwide by April 30, 2010.

On September 10, 2009, the U.S. Department of State released the October 2009 Visa Bulletin.  As anticipated, the news is not good.  Waiting lists for Indian and Chinese nationals whose U.S. employers have sponsored them for positions that require advanced degrees are backed up to early 2005.  For positions that require at least a bachelor's degree, wait lists stand at early 2002 for all nationalities except Indians (mid-2001).  Family-based categories are also painfully oversubscribed.  Depending on their nationalities, spouses and children of U.S. permanent residents must wait 4 ...

Under the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, U.S. immigration law will extend to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 14 Pacific islands located near Guam, beginning on November 28, 2009.  Inspection and admission of travelers to the CNMI will change, and authorized stays under the Visa Waiver Program in Guam and CNMI will increase from 15 to 45 days.  The Department of Homeland Security announcement may be read here.