Category: Uncategorized

The U.S. has begun issuing a new “Bridge” visa foil for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. It depicts the Golden Gate Bridge, which links San Francisco’s Presidio to the Marin headlands and is easily identified by its orange color.  The “Bridge” visa foil replaces the “Lincoln” visa foil currently in use by consular posts worldwide. It will be… Continue reading New U.S. Bridge Visa Foil

There is nothing new about U.S. complaints regarding China’s lack of cooperation in repatriating its citizens who have been ordered deported. Nevertheless, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has suspended cooperation in such cases in retaliation for the visit by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. China also canceled other efforts… Continue reading China Won’t Cooperate in Repatriating Deportees in Wake of Pelosi’s Taiwan Visit

Shanghai Due to local health control measures, the visa unit at the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai is currently closed. They expect to remain closed until the lockdown is lifted, according to ustraveldocs.com. The United States has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas, including Mission China’s personnel and their families. On… Continue reading U.S. Consulates in Shanghai and Shenyang Temporarily Closed (Updated)

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 has updated its phone-tree system. This summary of how to use the system draws on helpful practice tips from the Contact Center’s webpage and AILA Doc. No. 19101631 (Jan. 10, 2022) (subscription only). Before calling the Contact Center, check for the availability of USCIS… Continue reading Calling the USCIS Contact Center

“The United States Should Welcome Immigrants from China,” proclaims an article on the Cato Institute website by Alex Nowrasteh and John Glaser. The authors see that competition with China is dominating America’s foreign policy discourse in a way reminiscent of the Cold War. The authors blame this poisoned discourse in part on President Biden’s failure… Continue reading Cato Institute on Welcoming Immigrants from China

The U.S. has imposed visa sanctions on certain Chinese nationals in retaliation for the Chinese government’s failure to repatriate deportees from the U.S. By 2017, there was a backlog of nearly 40,800 Chinese nationals who had been ordered deported by the U.S. but who had not been removed because China was dragging its feet in issuing travel documents,… Continue reading U.S. Retaliates Against China for Failure to Repatriate Deportees

What are the consequences for immigration law of Joe Biden’s election as the 46th president of the United States? The Trump administration’s legacy will have been to reduce legal immigration by up to 49% – without any change to the Immigration and Nationality Act but instead through hundreds of regulatory and sub-regulatory actions. The administration has strived,… Continue reading Biden Beats Trump: What’s Next for Immigration Law?

Inexplicably, USCIS has removed from its website contact information for its field offices. If you go to the Find a USCIS Office page, there is still a link for Field Offices, but that page no longer lists contact information. But contact information can still be found in an archived version of this webpage from May… Continue reading Find a USCIS Field Office

Before departing the U.S., certain noncitizens must obtain from IRS a certificate of compliance. This document is also popularly known as a “sailing permit” or “departure permit.” One of two forms is filed with IRS: Form 1040C, U.S. Departing Alien Income Tax Return: This form is used by persons leaving the U.S. to report both… Continue reading IRS Departing Alien Clearance (Sailing Permit)

I would be happy if not a single refugee foot ever again touched America’s soil. Stephen Miller, senior advisor to President Trump on immigration matters. Meanwhile, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency, there are 25.9 million refugees worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in other countries. We cannot… Continue reading Immigration Quotes and Quips

Reuters reports that yesterday, a federal judge ruled that U.S. border agents need “reasonable suspicion” but not a warrant to search travelers’ smartphones and laptops at airports and other U.S. ports of entry. The ruling sets a higher standard than the one CBP agents must apply to conduct routine searches of electronic devices under current… Continue reading U.S. Judge Rules Suspicionless Searches of Travelers’ Digital Devices Unconstitutional

Shanghai Daily reports that foreigners and persons from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan arriving in Shanghai can now complete the temporary residence registration (临时住宿登记) process online instead of going to the police in person.

On August 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule related to public charge in the Federal Register. The rule was set to take effect on October 15, 2019, but is currently tied up in litigation. The rule will not apply to immigration applications filed before it takes effect.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Sept. 25 the arrest of Ji Chaoqun on the charge that he was as an agent of the Chinese government acting in the U.S. without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.