1. Effective November 1, 2016 Consular Affairs (CA) will no longer accept photographs of visa and passport applicants wearing eyeglasses, except in rare, medically-documented circumstances. CA will implement this policy with a soft one-month enforcement period from November 1 to November 30, 2016, after which accept photographs with eyeglasses will not be accepted. 2. CA decided to prohibit photographs of applicants wearing eyeglasses to enhance the performance of CA's facial recognition (FR). This prohibition increases the overall accuracy of the FR software and decreases the likelihood of misidentifying an applicant. 3. Under the “No Eyeglasses Policy” , an applicant may...
The U.S. Department of State implemented a policy on November 5, 2015, which requires consular officers to prudentially revoke (i.e., without making a determination that the individual is inadmissible) nonimmigrant visas of individuals arrested for, or convicted of, driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated, or similar arrests/convictions, that occurred within the previous five (5) years. This change in policy is detailed in 9 FAM 403.11-3(A). The Department’s prudential revocations reflect that, after visa issuance, new or additional information calls into question the subject’s continued eligibility for a visa. In cases of a DUI arrest/conviction, consular officers may prudentially...
CBP Announces the Addition of Nine Airports to Global Entry Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 192 / Tuesday, October 4, 2016- CBP is designating nine additional Global Entry airports. Each of these airports will have Global Entry kiosks for the use of participants. The additional airports, listed alphabetically by state, and then city, are: Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska (FAI); Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California (OAK); Sacramento International Airport, Sacramento, California (SMF); Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, San Jose, California (SJC); Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, New Orleans, Louisiana (MSY); Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City,...
CBP announced on September 29, 2016, that travelers can now apply and pay for the FORM I-94 online prior to entering at a land port of entry. The traveler can pay the $6.00 up to 7 days prior to entry A provisional I-94 will be issued which will expire in 7 days Travelers should be prepared to show CBP evidence of their residence, employment, and/or travel plans Payment can be made by: Credit Card Debit Card PayPal To apply visit https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov
USCIS announced on September 22, 2016 that: N-400, Application for Naturalization, can be filed electronically; N-400 Applicants do not need to submit two (2) passport style photographs. USCIS will collect photographs, fingerprints and a signature at the biometric service appointment at the Application Support Center (ASC).
the “Filing Dates” Chart must be used for October 2016 for both family –sponsored and employment –based filings; the “ Final Action” Chart must be used in October 2016 for expiring employment visa categories.
This month USCIS has agreed with the USCIS Ombudsman’s recommendation to implement a parole policy for U visa petitioners and qualifying family members who live abroad. The U visa – available to individuals who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of a qualifying crime and who meet certain other criteria – are capped at 10,000 per fiscal year. When the U vis cap is exceeded, U petitioners who live abroad are placed on a waiting list and must then proactively seek humanitarian parole to enter the United States. As a result, victims of crimes residing abroad...
Monday, August 01, 2016 WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has redesignated Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and extended the existing TPS designation for the country from Oct. 1, 2016, through March 31, 2018. This allows eligible nationals of Syria (or persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Syria) to register or re-register for TPS in accordance with the Federal Register notice published today. To extend your TPS, you must reregister during the 60-day reregistration period that runs from Aug. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2016. Syrian nationals and persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Syria,...
If you start a business, one key to success is to know about your federal tax obligations. You may need to know not only about income taxes but also about payroll taxes. Here are five basic tax tips that can help get your business off to a good start. 1.Business Structure. As you start out, you’ll need to choose the structure of your business. Some common types include sole proprietorship, partnership and corporation. You may also choose to be an S corporation or Limited Liability Company. You’ll report your business activity using the IRS forms which are right for your business...
You may need copies of your filed tax returns for many reasons. For example, they can help you prepare future tax returns. You’ll need them if you have to amend a prior year tax return. You often need them when you apply for a loan to buy a home or to start a business. You may need them if you apply for student aid. If you can’t find your copies, the IRS can give you a transcript of the information you need, or a copy of your tax return. Here’s how to get your federal tax return information from the...
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