Coronavirus News

The President announced that the United States will be putting in place strict protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from passengers flying internationally into the United States, by requiring that adult foreign nationals traveling to the United States be fully vaccinated. This policy means that we will no longer be implementing the current 212(f) travel policies for individual countries as of early November, and will be moving to a consistent, stringent requirement for all international air travelers coming to the United States.
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USCIS announced that, effective Oct. 1, 2021, applicants subject to the immigration medical examination must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the civil surgeon can complete an immigration medical examination and sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.
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Critical infrastructure is a collection of networks, systems, and assets that are so vital to a country's economy, security, and public health that their ongoing operation is necessary. Transport systems, electricity, air and seaports, hospitals and health clinics, water and communications systems, and centers for police, fire, and public administration services are a few examples.
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Responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Department of State declared the cessation of standard visa services and essentially a travel ban at US embassies around the world in March 2020. At the time, diplomatic services were restricted to U.S. residents and foreign nationals who had to fly quickly for an essential reason.
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US Employers update from NPZ Law Group: Employment-Based Immigration Doubles Come October 1st
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Applicants, defined in these Technical Instructions as people applying for adjustment of status for US permanent residence, are medically screened well in advance of adjustment of status. Thus, a negative screening for COVID-19 at the time of the medical evaluation does not guarantee the applicant will not have COVID-19 at the time the applicant becomes a Lawful Permanent Resident.
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From June 1st, 2021, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made it more flexible for employers to comply with specific I-9 employment eligibility verification requirements because of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused. Thus, the validity of the extended policies is till August 31st, 2021.
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Beginning Aug. 12, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is temporarily extending the validity period for Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, from two years to now four years due to COVID-19-related delays in processing.

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In June 2021, the travel restrictions by the Biden Administration between Mexican, Canadian, and the U.S. land ports were extended until August. The Administration has confirmed that this policy is for “maintaining cross-border activities with Canada and Mexico that support health security, trade, commerce, supply security, and other essential activities while taking critical steps to protect [U.S.] citizens and to curb the spread of the virus.”
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On July 9th, 2021, there was a meeting between AILA and the Department of State (DOS) Liaison Committee about visa backlogs and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the takeaways from the AILA meeting about the DOS backlog and delays. The Immigration and Nationality Lawyers at the NPZ Law Group Continue to monitor the backlogs and delays and work closely with their colleagues at AILA to seek resolutions for their clients concerning same.

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The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has a long-standing reputation of suffering from delays, backlogs, and revenue cuts. Once COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, numerous countries, including the US, faced several structural and institutional challenges with regard to immigration. Before the pandemic, US immigration offices were already facing difficulty processing applications in a timely manner. However, once COVID-19 took over, the situation of this government agency went from bad to worse.
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