December 09, 2024
The Department of State is announcing an update of the Exchange Visitors Skills List (“Skills List”). The Skills List is a list of countries designated by the Secretary of State as clearly requiring the services of persons engaged in certain fields of specialized knowledge or skills. This list is used by the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to determine whether an individual who has been admitted into the United States as a “J” nonimmigrant exchange visitor, or who acquired such status, is subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement under Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”), as amended.
November 26, 2024
The Department of Homeland Security today posted a Federal Register notice designating Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced on Oct. 17, 2024, the designation of Lebanon for TPS. The corresponding FRN provides information about how to register for TPS under this designation.
October 17, 2024
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing new actions to provide temporary immigration reprieve to eligible Lebanese nationals currently in the United States and allowing them the opportunity to request work authorization. Included in today’s announcement are details related to the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Lebanese nationals as previously announced in July, and a planned new Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Lebanon.
Visa processing in many countries continue to be delayed, with limited visa appointment availability. Third Country National (TCN) visa processing is increasingly limited or has been suspended in certain countries, including Canada and Mexico. It is strongly advised to schedule a visa appointment prior to departure from the U.S., especially if you will not be processing in/traveling to your Home Country, i.e. a TCN request. Please use the Department of State Website to better understand processing times at the consulate of your choice. Individual consulate websites will also help you better understand current visa processing procedures at that site, including whether an interview will be required. First-time applicants for a visa of a given type could be referred for secondary processing resulting in additional delay. For applicants applying for the same category of visa they have held before, this risk is reduced. Remember to consider whether you have any dependent family members that may also require visa processing.
An electronic Form I-94 is issued to almost all non-immigrant visa holders during the admission process at the U.S. port of entry. Inspect your Form I-94 carefully each time you enter the US to ensure that you and your family (if applicable) are admitted in the correct status for the full length of your approved status. If either the status or expiration date are incorrect, it may be necessary to take corrective steps to prevent violations of your immigration status and from accumulating time in unlawful presence, which may result in a 3-10 year bar to re-entry into the U.S.
Form I-94 at Land Borders: Recently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requested that travelers apply for their Form I-94 and prepay online before arriving at a land border. The announcement also contains travel tips, including pointers on monitoring border wait times and understanding customs and other policies surrounding border travel.
