Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the January 2025 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of January.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For employment-based and family-sponsored preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of December.
What will Trump’s immigration policies look like during his second term? In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick breaks down what families need to know before he takes office.
You will learn all about the upcoming changes that may impact family-based immigration, and how his policies may slow down the processing of immigrant visas at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad.
This information is based on the Trump administration’s campaign promises, and actions taken during his first term in office. While we do not know for certain what is to come, applicants should expect a departure from the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
Overview
Looking back on President Trump’s first term in office, his administration issued far-reaching executive actions on immigration. From Muslim travel bans to an overhaul of the public charge rule, the immigration process became much more restrictive.
Many of these executive actions and policy changes may be reinstated during his first 100 days in office, causing more headaches for family-based immigrants.
Here are some of the changes that may be expected from the Trump administration.
Return of the Public Charge Rule for Green Card and Immigrant Visa Applicants
To obtain a green card or immigrant visa, applicants must demonstrate that they are not likely to become a “public charge” on the U.S. government. A person who is likely to depend on government assistance for their basic needs is deemed a “public charge.”
In 2019, the Trump administration expanded the criteria used by USCIS and Consular officials to determine whether an immigrant is likely to become a public charge. Under Trump’s public charge rule, the use of public benefits (such as food stamps, Medicaid, and Section 8 housing assistance) were factors that were considered in public charge determinations, making it more difficult for immigrants receiving these benefits to obtain a green card.
The Trump administration also required USCIS and Consular officers to weigh several factors when making a public charge determination, including the applicant’s age, health, family status, assets, resources, financial status, education, and skills.
Proof of Personal Financial Resources
To make matters worse, Trump’s public charge rule also required green card applicants to show proof of personal financial resources.
President Trump will soon return to the White House, bringing with him many changes in the world of immigration.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick shares the ways in which the Trump administration will impact the processing at visas U.S. Consulates and Embassies worldwide, including immigrant and non-immigrant visas.
This video also covers the latest updates regarding the operational capacity of U.S. Consular posts and Embassies as of November 2024.
If you are currently waiting in line for a visa interview at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad, you won’t want to miss this video.
Overview
President Trump will settle into the White House on January 20, 2024, bringing with him new appointments to cabinet level positions. His pick for Secretary of State is likely to be the Republican Marco Rubio, a known conservative who supports legal immigration and a crackdown on illegal immigration.
Nonimmigrant visa applicants may face new restrictions when applying at U.S. Consulates and Embassies. During the previous Trump administration, work visa applicants were under much heavier scrutiny than ever before. H-1B, O-1, L-1, and J visa applicants found it much more difficult to obtain approvals both at the USCIS and Consular level.
These challenges existed even for applicants seeking extensions of their work visa.
To avoid being subject to greater scrutiny, applicants should file their cases as soon as possible. If premium processing service is available for your petition, take advantage of it.
Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the December 2024 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of December.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For employment-based and family-sponsored preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of December.
The American people have spoken. Donald Trump will return to the White House on January 20, 2025, becoming the next President of the United States.
This past month, the Trump administration has been busy laying the groundwork to implement stricter border policy measures, strike-down Biden-era immigration policies, and put in motion the large-scale deportation of undocumented immigrants.
But how could a Trump presidency impact legal immigration?
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what we can expect to see from the incoming Trump administration, with a specific focus on the changes that could impact business immigration law. You will learn about the five major changes that employers and foreign workers should consider in the months ahead.
If you’re an employer looking to hire foreign talent, or are actively employing foreign workers, then you won’t want to miss this video. If you’re a foreign worker going through the visa process, or thinking of applying for a visa, we will share with you the insider information you need to know to ensure your process is successful.
Want to know more? Just keep on watching
Overview
The Trump administration’s immigration policies are expected to impact workers in all industries. Individuals close to the President elect have revealed that they are preparing executive actions on immigration to be rolled out soon after Trump takes office in January.
Here are the top five ways that Trump’s immigration policies will impact business immigration.
#1 The Use of Executive Orders
During his first term in office, Donald Trump relied heavily on executive orders to bring about far-reaching changes in immigration policy, including his notorious “Muslim travel ban.”
As you may recall, in 2017 President Trump signed an executive order banning people from six Muslim-majority countries, from entering the United States for a period of 90 days. These countries were Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.
The executive order prevented nationals from entering, even if they held visas to travel to the United States, causing wide-spread family separation for those seeking to be reunited with their spouses, parents, and children in the United States.
Upon taking office, we expect President Trump to issue a series of executive orders that will restrict the admission of certain foreign nationals to the United States and codify his hardline immigration policies.
If you are applying for an immigrant visa for a family member, you will encounter the National Visa Center during your immigration process. The National Visa Center is a branch of the Department of State responsible for managing the processing of immigrant visa applications.
Once USCIS has approved your immigrant petition, your case is transferred to the National Visa Center to collect additional documentation from you, before your case can be scheduled for a visa interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains why there have been delays in immigrant visa processing due to challenges faced by the National Visa Center.
Overview
What are some of the problems causing delays in visa processing?
Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) Technical Errors
The Department of State uses an online application for immigrant visa applicants to submit required fees, forms, and documents to the National Visa Center (NVC) for review.
This tool is called the Consular Electronic Application Center, or CEAC which requires you to enter your case number and invoice ID number to login in to the platform.
After logging in the platform will instruct you regarding the steps you need to take to complete pre-processing of your case. This includes 1) paying your fees, 2) completing the DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application, and 3) uploading the required documentation.
Unfortunately, users commonly experience errors while using the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) platform. This includes problems with uploading documents.
When trying to upload documents to CEAC, users who see an “Invalid Image Detected” error must save the completed document as a PDF and re-upload it.
Immigrant Visa Processing Delays
Due to these technical errors, the National Visa Center has been experiencing immigrant visa processing delays. These issues have pushed back immigrant visa processing because the National Visa Center has been unable to promptly receive, and review required documentation.
Other common situations causing delays include submitting incomplete documentation or documentation that is missing required information.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick updates our viewers about how long it is taking for an immigrant visa interview to be scheduled at U.S. Consulates and Embassies overseas as of October 2024.
Please note that the green card application process will differ for individuals applying from inside the United States (this process is known as Adjustment of Status).
For the purposes of this video, we will focus solely on consular processing for applicants applying for their green card from outside the United States via a U.S. Consulate or Embassy overseas.
If you would like to learn more about this topic, please keep on watching.
How long do I have to wait for NVC to send my case to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for interview scheduling?
On average, it can take the National Visa Center approximately 45 days to declare your case “documentarily complete.”
A case becomes “documentarily complete” once the applicant has paid all visa fees and submitted all required documents, including the DS-260 Online Immigrant Visa Application, Affidavit of Support, and other supporting documentation.
PRO TIP: To minimize delays, ensure that you are familiar with the documentation you must submit early on, and provide it promptly.
The amount of time you will need to wait for interview scheduling may vary depending on the following factors:
Your Preference Category: unless you are the immediate relative of a U.S. Citizen, your preference category will be subject to annual numerical limits. This means that you must check the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin regularly to know how much time you will need to wait before final action can be taken on your case.
Country of Nationality: Your country of nationality may also have an impact on the processing of your case. If you are dealing with a U.S. Embassy or Consulate that is in high demand such as India, Pakistan, or the Philippines, then you can expect longer wait times for interview scheduling, due to limited availability of visa interview appointments.
PRO TIP: Be proactive. Ensure that you have submitted all required documentation and follow up with the National Visa Center (NVC) regularly regarding your case.
Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss this blog post covering the release of the November 2024 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of November.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For employment-based and family-sponsored preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of November.
If you are interested in applying for the Diversity Visa Lottery program now is the perfect time. Online registration for fiscal year 2026 is now open until Tuesday November 5th at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains everything you need to know about your eligibility for the Diversity Visa lottery, how to apply, and useful tips for how to maximize your chances at selection.
Want to know more? Just keep on watching
Overview
What is the Diversity Visa Lottery program?
Every year, the U.S. government makes available up to 55,000 immigrant visas as part of its Diversity Visa Lottery program (also known as the green card lottery). This program is meant to offer green cards to individuals who are from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States to promote diversity.
To participate in the program, you must meet the DV lottery requirements and submit a free online registration during the registration period running from now until Tuesday November 5th at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time.
Winners for the DV lottery for FY 2026 are expected to be announced starting May 3, 2025, through September 30, 2026. Participants can check whether they have been selected on the DOS Website by selecting DV Entrant Status Check.
Entrant Status Check is the ONLY means used by the Department of State to notify selectees of their selection. The Department of State will not mail notification letters or notify selectees by email.
DO NOT BE SCAMMED: There is NO FEE to complete the online registration.
Who is Not Eligible?
Not every country is eligible to participate in the Diversity Visa lottery. For instance, countries like Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Mainland China, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Venezuela, Vietnam, etc. are NOT eligible to participate.
Have you applied for an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa and received a notice of 221(g) administrative processing after your Consular visa interview? If so, then you won’t want to miss this important video explaining what administrative processing is all about and what you can expect during this process.
Overview
What is 221(g) Administrative Processing?
A visa refusal under section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) means that an applicant has not established eligibility for their visa to the satisfaction of the Consular officer.
Administrative processing is not a denial. It simply means that your visa has been temporarily refused by the Consular officer, because further review is needed before your visa can be approved. While a 221(g) refusal means that you are not eligible for a visa at this time, it is not the end of the road.
In fact, the majority of cases placed in administrative processing are released from administrative processing and are approved within 60 days of the visa interview. Often, a Consular officer may simply be waiting for the results of the applicant’s background check before they can provide clearance for the visa to be issued.
But for other more complicated cases, including those where concerns relating to fraud, criminal history, or national security concerns are involved, it can take several years before a case can be resolved. The timing of administrative processing will therefore depend on your individual circumstances and other complications rooted in your immigration history.
How do I know if I have been placed in 221(g) Administrative Processing?
Applicants who are placed in 221(g) administrative processing following their visa interview will typically receive a 221(g) notice from the Consular officer at the conclusion of the interview. The notice will indicate that further review is necessary before a final decision can be made, and in some circumstances the notice may request for an applicant to provide additional information or documentation such as travel history.
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