Theodore Huang, Immigration & SSD Lawyer

The USCIS recently rolled out its ELIS system. The ELIS system is new Electronic Immigration System which allows applicants to complete and submit USCIS forms online. Currently, the system is only available for certain forms as the USCIS is testing out its acceptance and ability effective process immigration benefits applications.

Touted as the next step in streamlining immigration processing, the new system is receiving mixed reviews by applicants and attorneys. The system is still in need of work, and processes which should be fairly straightforward and user-friendly, unfortunately, are not.

USCIS will perform routine maintenance to conduct updates for ELIS sytem on Nov. 17, from 5 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and on Nov. 18, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. (EST).

Users should be careful when using the system on these days to avoid losing data. Better yet, avoid these days altogether.

Theodore Huang, Esq. has been practicing business immigration, EB-5 investor, and family immigration law since 1997. Highly recommended on LinkedIn, Attorney Huang has written numerous articles on visa matters affecting foreign new hires, start-ups, and intracompany transfers. His articles have appeared on www.EB5Planet.com, www.VisaSoup.com, www.MyVisa.com, and www.GoFianceeVisa.com  For more information and a free consultation, please contact him immediately.

After the K-1 petition has been approved at the USCIS, it will be forwarded to the National Visa Center and then on to the U.S. Embassy Manila. At that point, the K-1 fiancé(e) will need to do the following:

Each K visa applicant must first pay the visa application fee of $350 at any Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) branch.  There are three ways to pay the K visa application fee:

•        Cash payment at BPI.

•        Online payment option provided by BPI to their clients.

•        Online payment through Bancnet.

Once the fee has been paid, the applicant can proceed with scheduling an interview, this can be done either online at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph or by calling the Embassy’s Visa Call Center at (632) 982-5555 or (632) 902-8930. From that point, the foreign fiancée should begin gathering the necessary documents needed for the K1 interview.

If you are interested in bringing your fiancée or spouse over to the USA on the K1 fiance or spousal  visa and utilizing my immigration legal experience since 1997, please contact me at 626-771-1078.

Beginning June 4, 2012, individuals abroad who have applied for certain visas and have been found ineligible by a U.S. Consular Officer, will be able to mail requests to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility directly to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Lockbox facility. This change affects where individuals abroad, who have been found inadmissible for an immigrant visa or a nonimmigrant K or V visa, must send their waiver applications.

Currently, applicants experience processing times from one-month to more than a year depending on their filing location. This centralization will provide customers with faster and more efficient application processing and consistent adjudication. It is part of a broader agency effort to transition to domestic filing and adjudication; it does not reflect a change in policy or the standards by which the applications are adjudicated. Individuals filing waiver applications with a USCIS Lockbox will now be able to track the status of their case online.

Brazil is growing, and the number of U.S. citizens looking for a spouse from this booming country continues. The Department of State reported this morning that visa applications are up by about 62% last month compared to March 2011. This is an amazing increase and a testament to growing transfer of employees and family members between Brazil and the U.S.  Currently visa processing is taking 7 months according to the Department of State. While this may seem to be a long time, the K-1 procedures at the U.S. Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro is well-organized and streamlined. For  tourist visas, according to the Dept. of State, the visa wait time is less than 2 weeks.  To meet the demand, the Dept. of State has increased staffing levels.

If you need help applying for your Brazilian fiance or spouse, please contact me.