Latest Articles
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DOS Proposes Increased Nonimmigrant Visa Fees 2022
Posted on January 06, 2022On December 29th of 2021, the Department of State released a proposed rule published in the Federal Register. The rule proposes an increase of nonimmigrant visa fees to better correspond to the government costs associated with processing these visas. [lwptoc] Proposed Increased Nonimmigrant Fees Among the visas fees proposed to increase are: tourist and business visas (B-1 & B-2) student and exchange visas (F, M & J) crew and transit visas (C and D) foreign media representatives (I) border crossing card for people ages 15+ (citizens and residents of Mexico) [wptb id=7769] *Non-petition-based NIV fees are for visas that do…
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In-Person Interview Requirement Temporarily Waived for Some Nonimmigrant Visas
Posted on January 05, 2022Last week we saw several noteworthy developments in the immigration arena coming from both the Biden administration and the Department of State. The U.S. Department of State (DOS), in accordance with the Department of Homeland Security (DOH), announced on December 23, 2021, in-person interview requirements are temporarily waived for some nonimmigrant visas through the end of 2022. Referred to as the "Drop Box" process, the temporary rule widens the eligibility criteria. Who Can Have the In-person Interview Requirement Temporarily Waived To qualify for the visa interview waiver, individuals must have been previously issued another type of visa, never been denied…
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NVC Expedite Request Process
Posted on November 18, 2021In emergencies or hardship, a petitioner can speed up an immigration case with a National Visa Center (NVC) expedite request. USCIS sends overseas petitions to the NVC. Normally, USCIS notifies you with a Notice of Approval that the petition is approved and sent to the National Visa Center. After the NVC receives your case, they enter the information into their system and issue a special NVC case number. You then receive a Welcome Letter, which includes the case number and invoice ID and the next steps in the process. If you request to expedite the case, the immigration case will go…
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SGM Law Group to Rebrand as VisaNation
Posted on November 09, 2021As SGM Law Group PLLC celebrates its 10-year anniversary this month, we are thrilled to announce our rebrand to VisaNation Law Group PLLC. Our new brand reinforces our commitment to the immigrant community in providing the highest quality U.S. immigration services, with compassion and responsiveness at the forefront. (more…)
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Migrant vs. Immigrant and Refugee vs. Asylee: Which One Are You?
Posted on November 07, 2021It's important to know how the government defines you when attempting to come to the United States. For example, what's the difference between a migrant vs. immigrant or asylee vs. refugee? Is there a difference? For legal purposes, ignore all other sources for definitions and go straight to the Department of Homeland Security (DOH). Since they decide whether you enter or not, their definition is the essential one. This guide will help you decipher how DOH defines migrant, immigrant, nonimmigrant, asylee, and refugee. [lwptoc] Migrant vs. Immigrant: Who is Considered a Migrant? The DOH simply defines a migrant as someone…
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What Section 214(B) Visa Denial Means
Posted on November 01, 2021Has your visa been denied by a consular officer under Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act? Millions of visas are denied each year under this section of law. If this is your scenario, you may be confused and wondering what that means and if there is any way to get around it. U.S. immigration law is set up where the burden falls on the visa applicant to demonstrate that they do not intend to stay permanently in the United States and meet the requirements to receive the visa. The "presumption of immigrant intent" is a major hurdle you…
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How to Show Proof of U.S. Domicile for Immigration
Posted on October 25, 2021Proof of U.S. domicile is one of the requirements for a successful I-864 Affidavit of Support submission. If you are unable to provide proof of U.S. domicile, you may be rejected as a petitioner. In this post, we'll explore examples of proof of U.S. domicile and the documents required to establish proof of domicile. [lwptoc] What is Proof of U.S. Domicile? USCIS defines the word domicile as "the place where a sponsor has his or her principal residence with the intention to maintain that residence for the foreseeable future." To qualify as a financial sponsor, the petitioner must be living…
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How Visa Reciprocity Works in the United States
Posted on October 18, 2021There are quite a few fees required when trying to obtain a U.S. visa. Visa reciprocity, sometimes also called visa insurance, is a fee that some individuals from certain countries/areas have to pay when their visa application is approved. Since not all non-immigrant applicants are required to pay this fee, and it sometimes changes, always check for the reciprocity schedule when traveling to and from the United States to ensure you meet the requirements. [lwptoc] Reciprocity Schedule - Do You Have to Pay the Fee? As the name implies, this fee is based on the principle of reciprocity — "when…