DOS | Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation

New State Dept. Form Asks Certain Visa Applicants ‘Supplemental Questions’ Regarding Social Media Usage

Posted on 07/11/2017 by Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation

A new Department of State form, DS-5535, for visa applicants asks supplemental questions of “[i]mmigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants who have been determined to warrant additional scrutiny in connection with… Read More

Posted in DOS, OMB,

China-Mainland Born EB-5 Category Oversubscribed in May; Philippines EB-3 Retrogresses

Posted on 05/01/2015 by Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for May 2015 notes that heavy China-mainland born applicant demand has required the implementation of an employment fifth preference (EB-5) cut-off date of May… Read More

Posted in DOS, Processing TImes, Visas,

State Dept. Anticipates Visa Number Movement in Some Employment-Based Categories

Posted on 01/20/2015 by Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for February 2015 notes that movement is possible in some employment-based categories in the coming months. In the employment-based “Worldwide” third preference category, the… Read More

Posted in DOS, Visas,

Agencies Launch Awareness Campaign on Executive Actions for Mexicans and Central Americans

Posted on 01/18/2015 by Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation

The Departments of State and Homeland Security have launched the “Executive Action on Immigration: Know the Facts” awareness campaign, a national and international outreach effort detailing the eligibility requirements for… Read More

Posted in CBP, DHS, DOS, USCIS,

State Dept. Revises Reciprocity Schedules for Several Countries

Posted on 01/15/2015 by Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation

In recent months, the Department of State has revised visa reciprocity schedules for Armenia, Brazil, Albania, and China, among others. For temporary visitors (nonimmigrants) to the United States, reciprocity tables… Read More

Posted in DOS, NIV, Visas,

State Dept.’s NVC Is Now Handling All Domestic Visa Inquiries

Posted on 01/14/2015 by Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation

The Department of State’s Visa Office has established one point of contact for all domestic inquiries regarding nonimmigrant and immigrant visa cases. The National Visa Center (NVC) has begun handling… Read More

Posted in DOS, Visas,

State Dept. Releases Instructions on Applying for DV-2016 Program

Posted on 10/02/2014 by Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation

On September 24, 2014, the Department of State (DOS) released instructions on how to apply for the diversity visa (DV) 2016 program. Entries for the DV-2016 DV program must be… Read More

Posted in DOS, Green Cards, Lottery,

China EB-5 Category Unavailable Through September; Current in October

Posted on 09/24/2014 by Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation

The Department of State’s Visa Office announced that the China employment-based fifth (EB-5) category became unavailable on August 23, 2014, and will remain unavailable for the remainder of fiscal year… Read More

Posted in DOS, EB-5,

DOS Announces Major Developments in Availability of China EB-5 Visa Numbers

Posted on 09/08/2014 by Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation

At an immigration law conference sponsored by the American Immigration Lawyers Association on August 23, 2014, Charles Oppenheim of the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that effective immediately, the… Read More

Posted in DOS, Processing TImes,

DOS Changes Fees for Visa and Citizenship Services

Posted on by Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation

Effective September 6, 2014, the Department of State is amending the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services for certain nonimmigrant visa application processing fees, certain immigrant visa application processing and… Read More

Posted in DOS, fees,