Posts Tagged ‘nonimmigrant’
REMINDER: USCIS Fees to Increase November 23, 2010
The USCIS will be increasing its filing fees for many form-types on November 23, 2010. If you have an immigration matter you’d like filed before that date, please contact our San Francisco law office as soon as possible. We handle all types of employment and family-based immigration matters. For more details, please visit http://www.galigordon.com/us-visas-permanent-residence.
Tags: immigrant, nonimmigrant, November 23, USCIS fees, visa
Posted in Alerts, Immigrant Visas, Nonimmigrant Visas, USCIS | Read More »
ALERT: New Appointment System for Visa Applicants in Canada
Starting tomorrow, September 1, 2010, all visa applicants in Canada must use the new appointment service found at http://www.usvisa-info.com/en-CA/selfservice/ss_country_welcome to schedule their visa appointments. This new system will be free of charge, with no requirement that applicants pay for phone charges or PIN numbers to access such services. Appointments that are currently scheduled will remain scheduled as is.
Please contact our San Francisco immigration law office if you have any questions or concerns about this new system.
Tags: Canada, immigrant, nonimmigrant, NVARS, U.S. consulate, visa appointment
Posted in Alerts, Immigrant Visas, Nonimmigrant Visas | Read More »
VISA FEES TO INCREASE JULY 13, 2010
This is an update to a previous post on June 3, 2010, regarding passport and visa fee increases. The Department of State (DOS) is in the process of developing a final rule regarding its current passport and visa fee structure. The first proposed rule in March 2010 received over 1700 comments from individuals, businesses, advocates and attorneys. As a result, the DOS has developed an interim rule effective July 13, 2010, that will increase various passport and visa fees while they figure out the final rule’s parameters.
The interim rule changes the fees as follows:
1. The application fee for a U.S. passport book for an adult (age 16 and older) is increased from $55 to $70. The application fee for a passport book for a minor (under age 16) will remain at $40.
2. The passport book security surcharge is increased from $20 to $40
3. There will be an $82 fee for adding extra pages to an existing passport (this used to be a free service)
4. The adult passport card application fee is increased from $20 to $30 and the minor passport card application fee from $10 to $15
5. The fee for verifying U.S. citizenship when no evidence is presented is increased from $60 to $150
6. The fee for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (U.S. citizen birth in foreign country) is increased from $65 to $100
7. The application fee for a family-based visa (processed on the basis of an I-130, I-600 or I-800 petition) will be $330
8. The application fee for an employment-based visa (processed on the basis of an I-140 petition) will be $720
9. Other immigrant visa applications (including for diversity visa applicants, I-360 self- petitioners, special immigrant visa applicants, and all others) will have a processing fee of $305
10. The immigrant visa security surcharge will increase from $45 to $74
Please refer to our June 3, 2010 post for the nonimmigrant fee changes currently in effect. Please also stay-tuned for an update on the final rule to be implemented. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact our immigration law firm with any questions.
Tags: consulate, Department of State, embassy, immigrant, nonimmigrant, passport, visa fees
Posted in Alerts, Immigrant Visas, Nonimmigrant Visas | Read More »
Have You Been Convicted of a Crime? Speak with an Immigration Attorney Before You Travel!
If you are a lawful permanent resident or a lawful nonimmigrant residing in the U.S. with a criminal conviction in your past, and you plan to travel outside the U.S. and re-enter, it is critical that you consult with an attorney prior to departing the US.
Certain crimes are considered Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude (CIMT) under our immigration laws. These crimes can make you inadmissible to the U.S.
Even if you are a long-term resident of the U.S. with one prior conviction, you could have trouble re-entering the U.S if the crime you were convicted of is considered a CIMT. This may be true even if you served a jail sentence, satisfied your probation requirements, and are otherwise now a model citizen. It is essential to analyze the conviction or convictions in your case to determine whether or not you are inadmissible to the U.S.
Do not find out the hard way that you have a problem. Please consult with an immigration attorney prior to travel.
Tags: CIMT, crime moral turpitude, immigration, inadmissibility, nonimmigrant, re-entry, resident, travel
Posted in Crimes and Immigration | Read More »
