Consular visa interviews
The date of your visa interview is now just around the corner. As the culmination of a process that has lasted many months, this is a big day. If you are like most of my clients, you are going to…
Understanding “administrative processing”
The following materials are provided from a webinar hosted March 29, 2017 featuring guest speaker, Jay Gairson. Jay is an immigration and national security attorney in Seattle, Washington. His clients are primarily from the Middle East, East Africa, and South…
May I visit the U.S. on a B-1/B-2 (or ESTA) after filing an I-130 or I-129F?
It's just a fact - marriage and fiancé(e) visas take a long time. The process starts when the U.S. petitioner files an I-130 (marriage) or I-129F (fiancé(e)) petition. After the petition is filed, all you can do is wait for…
Ink signatures no longer required on I-864s for NVC
The Department of State announced yesterday that original ink signatures are no longer required on I-864 series forms. Instead, applicants may provide photocopies of the the form, rather than the original. This new policy will make it easier for applicants…
Understanding immigrant intent
A U.S. immigration officer presumes that all persons travelling to the U.S. have “immigrant intent.” Immigrant intent means the person has the intention to stay permanently in the U.S.. If you are traveling to the U.S. on a temporary visa,…
My petition was approved by USCIS – how long does it take to transfer to the NVC?
After a petition (I-129F or I-130) is approved by USCIS it will then be transferred to the National Visa Center (NVC). (For an overview of the process, follow this link). But how long does that take? Historically we've seen this…
How to prepare for a visa interview at a consulate
The day has finally come. It's been months and months since you filed the original petition. You've been through more paperwork than you can remember. Now, finally, it's time for your visa interview at the consulate. What can you do…
Op-ed: Fiancé visa disruption would impact Americans
In this piece in the Tacoma News Tribune I argue that Americans will be hurt if the fiancé visa program becomes more difficult. Following the violence in San Bernardino there has been talk of ratcheting down on fiancé(e) visas, but…
I got an invoice from the National Visa Center (NVC), what do I do next?
The National Visa Center (NVC) is where immigration cases can start to get really, really complicated. This post walks you through how to take care of paying your visa fee once you receive an invoice from the NVC. We assume…
Understanding marriage-related immigration
There are five basic ways in which marriage may facilitate a foreign national’s immigration to the United States. The first three are strategies available to a U.S. petitioner who wishes to gain legal status for his spouse or fiancé(e). The…