Category: DOS

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for the month of August 2016 reports that various employment-based categories are oversubscribed: India E4 and certain religious workers categories. The bulletin notes that there has been extremely high demand in the EB-4 and SR categories, primarily for Juvenile Court Dependent cases filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services… Read More

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for July 2016 includes the diversity visa lottery 2017 (DV-2017) results. The bulletin notes that the Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, has registered and notified the winners of the DV-2017 diversity lottery. Approximately 83,910 applicants have been registered and notified and may now apply for an immigrant visa.… Read More

The Department of State (DOS) recently announced (PDF) the phase-out of DOS’s endorsement of employment authorization requests for dependents of foreign government employees holding A-2 visas who are considered to be permanently resident in the United States for purposes of the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations (“PA2 employees”). DOS’s Office of Foreign Missions… Read More

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on March 3, 2016, a “Known Employer” pilot to assess a new process for employers seeking to hire certain workers through employment-based visa categories.  By modifying the process U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses to review an employer’s eligibility to sponsor individuals under certain employment-based immigrant and… Read More

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sent a letter on December 19, 2015, to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif assuring him that the United States remains committed to lifting visa sanctions as provided for under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The JCPOA is a diplomatic agreement intended to ensure that Iran’s nuclear… Read More