May 3, 2107 Congress has agreed to extend the EB-5 Regional Center program until September 30, 2017 with no changes. The extension of the EB-5 Regional Center program without changes is a significant step forward in the continuity of the program, and opens the door to...
March 3, 2017 The European Parliament took a vote to end visa-free travel for U.S. citizens to countries in the European Union, including France, Italy, Spain and Germany. This is the first step in suspending the mutual visa-free reciprocity agreement between the European Union and the...
March 5, 2017 U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services ("USCIS") is temporarily suspending accelerated processing known as "Premium Processing" of skilled worker visas under the H-1B visa program. The Premium Processing offers employers a 15-calendar day turn-around time for H-1B visa applications for an additional fee of...
On Friday, March 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services ("USCIS") held a public stakeholder engagement in Washington, D.C. Some important announcements were made, which we summarize below: Continued Increase in Popularity of EB-5 Visas In the period between October 2016 and December 2016, the...
Feb 10, 2017 On February 9, 2017, the federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision refusing to lift the block on President Trump’s Executive Order banning persons from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals...
January 30, 2017 On Friday, January 27th, 2017, President Trump issued an executive order which has implemented an immediately effective travel ban on citizens of the following seven designated countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for a period of ninety (90) days. This...
January 11, 2017 After months of waiting, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) finally released the full text of the proposed EB-5 regulations (NPRM) on Jan. 12, 2017. The key details of the proposed rule would significantly change the EB-5 regional center program: USCIS proposes to increase...
The U.S. Department of State ("DOS") just released the January 2017 visa bulletin. Certain categories have move forward, including a two-week jump for the EB-5 category final action date for petitioners from the People's Republic of China. USCIS has not yet advised whether it will accept...
