Immigration Updates April 2023
USCIS & State Department
Consular Processing - We continue to receive a lot of questions about consular processing. Though US embassies and consulates have largely reopened, appointments are still hard to come by in some countries, and most embassies and consulates are only taking appointments from citizens of their own countries. This means that finding appointments in countries other than your country of citizenship or residency can still be challenging. On a positive consular note, once visa applicants are physically present in their home countries, many embassies are allowing their citizens to mail their passport in to have visas issued, and many applicants therefore do not have to attend an in-person interview. Each country has their own mail-in (aka interview waiver) process.
EB-1 Backlog for China and India - Immigrant Visa (Green Card) priority dates are currently backlogged for citizens of India and China in the EB-1 category. This means that EB-1 green card applicants that are born in India or China are not able to apply for adjustment of status immediately upon approval. Rather, these applicants must wait until the State Department authorizes processing of adjustment of status applications based on the date the I-140 was filed with USCIS. The State Department publishes priority dates monthly between the middle and end of each month for the following month.
Immigrant Visa Processing for Citizens of Russia and Venezuela - All US embassies in Russia and Venezuela remain closed, and Russian and Venezuelan citizens must attend US embassy appointments in other countries. Green card interviews for Russians applying from abroad are currently scheduled in Warsaw, Poland, but Polish governmental restrictions are making it difficult for Russians to travel to Warsaw. Russian citizens with appointments in Warsaw must plan in advance for travel to Poland.
EB-1A Extraordinary Ability Green Card Processing - We have seen a great improvement in USCIS' processing of EB-1A Extraordinary Ability green cards, so if you've been thinking about applying for it, now is a good time to consult with one of our attorneys to provide an assessment of your case.
If you have questions about any of these points, please schedule a consultation with a Global Talent attorney by CLICKING HERE
Global Talent Updates
Global Talent has a fresh new look. Check out our new logo and website. We have also made the big decision to focus our business on what we do best - Extraordinary Ability visas and green cards, and family-based immigration. We have excellent relationships with other firms who handle other case types and we will be happy to provide referrals for other visa types.
We've had more than 300 cases approved since our last newsletter and we can't list them all here, but below is a small sample of Global Talent Immigration's recent approvals:
Indian Pharmaceutical AI Expert, British Technology Executive, South African Product Manager, Indian Research Scientist, Indian COO, South African Entrepreneur, Moldovan CEO, German CEO, Indian Materials Scientist, Russian CEO, Indian CEO, Indian Journalist, Chinese 3D Artist, Hong Kong Composer, Vietnamese Photographer, Australian Editor, Chinese Multimedia & Visual Artist, Canadian Singer/Songwriter, Italian Actor & Hot, Chinese Festival Programmer & Film Critic, Indian Writer & Director, Venezuelan Sound & Dialogue Editor, Chinese Producer, Chinese Production Controller, Saudi Arabian Model and Influencer, Australian songwriter, El Salvadorian Producer, British model, Russian Producer, Russian Editor, Russian Photographer, Belarusian Photographer, Slovenian Actor, Colombian Actor, Canadian Actor, British Producer, British Director, Colombian Makeup Artist, Vietnamese Comedian, New Zealand Radio Host & Producer, Russian Branded Content Producer, Bolivian Actor, Canadian Influencer, British Author & Speaker, Irish Actor, Egyptian Actor, Uruguayan Cinematographer, just to name a few.
If you'd like to schedule a consultation with a Global Talent attorney to discuss any US immigration issue, you can do so by CLICKING HERE
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