NPZ Immigration Law Blog

The utility and efficiency added to the adjudication of cases for E visa applicants by a post that has an E-visa company registration program may prove useful for all posts that determine to incorporate such a program. The use of a program/database that serves as a repository for registered companies (those businesses that have previously been determined to meet E-visa standards on a prior E-visa application and who have been issued an E-visa for its principal investor or employee and who maintain valid registration with a U.S. Embassy or Consulate) that regularly or continuously employ E visa applicants may be useful in the adjudication of future E visa applicants as long as the company employing the E visa applicant has not experienced any substantive changes. Some basic information should be used in the formulation of the company registration program/database that would make officers more efficient in the future adjudication of applicants from the same company. Any trends may also be expressed in this database; however officers are encouraged to consider the bona fides of each applicant that submits an application and not to use the presence or absence of a company in a program/database as an endorsement or disqualification of visa eligibility.

Note: Examples of information that should be used in the registration program include: Company name, Visa Control number, Applicant's present position, Nationality, Most recent adjudication date, Adjudication Decision, etc.

To be in good standing, a company that is registered or seeking registration must:

(1) have applicants in the U.S. that are in E status;

(2) inform post of applicants that have been issued E visas and who subsequently change or adjust status out of the E visa category, as well as change into E status domestically;

(3) have its status reviewed every 5 years, at a minimum, to ensure that the employees are in the appropriate status and that the enterprise in the United States is more than marginal;

There is no minimum number of applicants that must be in E status in order for a company to be accepted into a registration program stared by post. We realize that some posts that do not process a large number of E visa applicants but may want to create a registration program to improve efficiency during the adjudication of these applicants.

LINK here: https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040209.html