"DO's" and "DON’T's" for Attorneys Representing Visa Applicants
(and for Consular Officers, Too!)

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 Consular Corner, April 2008**

 Consular Corner, March 2008

 Consular Corner, January 2008

 Consular Corner, December 2007

 Consular Corner, November 2007

  Consular Corner, September 2007

 Consular Corner, July 2007

On Santa Claus and Visas

This is such a wonderful request and we now have the entire Embassy in Helsinki trying to help us out.  Not to worry we will take care of Mr. Santa Claus, otherwise it would be a disaster! 

Practice Tips on - Preparing Your Client for an NIV Interview

Visa Assessment
Visa Chart for Human Resources Managers.

More... 

Tel Aviv, Israel-U.S. Embassy

Nonimmigrant Visa Section - Processing Procedures and Times
The Nonimmigrant Visa Section is generally open for interviews Mondays through Fridays, except for the last Friday of each month.
The NIV section accepts telephone inquiries from the public Monday–Thursday, 2:00 pm–4:00 pm only.
Tip: The Embassy advises that Passover, the Summer months, and the Jewish High Holidays are particularly busy periods, during which it may be difficult to schedule a visa appointment at short notice. The Embassy suggests that applications for visas be made several months before the proposed travel date in order to avoid any delay.  More...

The Consul and the Visas Condor  

In May 2002, President Bush signed into law the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 which, inter alia requires the Department of State to implement enhanced security measures for the review of visa applications. More...

Tips for Resolving Problem Cases at Consulates

Throughout the past year, the AILA-Visa Office Liaison Committee has sought to improve and facilitate attorney communications with consular posts and the Visa Office (VO) itself. In this vein, the following “questions and answers” are gleaned from the Minutes of AILA-VO Liaison Committee Meetings previously posted on InfoNet. This summary concludes with VO contact information, as well as a list of consular post e-mail addresses and web sites. More...

B-1 Business Activities: "Go" "Pause" AND "Stop"
For Business Travelers To the US. More...

Jerusalem Israel - U.S Consulate General

Attorney Representation 
The visa section is situated in two small, connected rooms on the second floor of the consulate. Only a few dozen people can physically occupy this space at one time. Given these restrictions, post policy is to encourage only visa applicants to enter the visa section. Notwithstanding, attorneys may accompany applicants to visa interviews with the advance permission of a consular officer.
Note: The post is scheduled to relocate its visa and American Citizens Services sections to more spacious quarters in mid-2008.  More...

E Visa Classification :  The Case For A Single Policy On Dual Intent

Dual intent is the concept by which an alien can have two lawful intents simultaneously: (1) an intent to come to the U.S. temporarily and leave at the end of his or her authorized stay; and (2) a hope and desire to become a lawful permanent resident if possible. More...

Rethinking PAW

The mass visa interviews envisioned by the Department of State’s new personal appearance waiver policy will likely be conducted by  young, overworked and undertrained consular officers making snap decisions impacting on national security.

Background - On May 21, 2003 the Department of State issued a Visa Policy Telegram to United States consular sections around the world entitled “Border Security – Waiver of Personal Appearance for Nonimmigrant Applicants – Revision to the Regulations.”   This Visa Policy Telegram (hereinafter referred to as the “PAW cable”), reflects a substantial revision of existing consular procedure relating to discretionary waivers of personal appearance and interview for nonimmigrant visa applicants. More...

Post 9/11 Travel and Visa Processing: A Practical Survival Checklist for Foreign Nationals
Prepared by Liam Schwartz

“Things are different now” is how the State Department’s Visa Office describes the period following the tragic events of September 11, 2001ƒy. For foreign nationals, this statement rings particularly true with regard to travel and visa processing issues. From perceived racial profiling to new forms of consular screening and increasing secondary inspections, foreign nationals now face a complex and often confounding array of demands and risks whenever they set foot on an airplane, a port of entry or a US Consulate.

The following checklist is designed to assist clients in facing this heightened scrutiny by offering some useful guidelines for coping with these demands and risks while minimizing disruption to a client’s daily life. More...

Religious Worker

What is the R Visa?
The R-1 visa enables religious workers to come to the US for temporary employment with an official religious organization to continue or develop in their specialty. Many R-1 religious workers first come to the US on a temporary basis, but are later able to become special religious worker immigrants (green card holders – see below) after they have served in the same religious position for at least two (2) years. More...

The Easy Way To Work Hard In Israel

Employment Options Available for Foreign Nationals
Israeli law generally provides for only one type of legal status relating to the employment of foreign nationals: the B-1 visa category (hereinafter: "the B-1 work visa"). The black and white law is defined by internal regulations of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor ("MOITAL" or "Ministry of Industry") which define various sub-categories in which an Israeli employer may sponsor a foreign national for a B-1 work visa. More...