Coronavirus News

 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending certain COVID-19-related flexibilities through Jan. 24, 2023, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors. Under these flexibilities, USCIS considers a response received within 60 calendar days after the due date set forth in the following requests or notices before taking any action, if the request or notice was issued between March 1, 2020, and Jan. 24, 2023, inclusive:

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Worldwide Visa Operations Are Recovering Faster than Expected from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Department of State is successfully lowering visa interview wait times worldwide, following closures during the pandemic. DOS has doubled our hiring of U.S. Foreign Service personnel to do this important work, we are recovering faster than projected, and this year DOS will reach pre-pandemic processing levels.
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Dear Stakeholder,

On July 25, 2022, USCIS announced that it will continue accepting copies of original signatures on all forms and documents. This makes permanent the temporary signature policy that USCIS announced in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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DHS is ending the COVID-19 Temporary Policy for List B Identity Documents. Beginning May 1, Employers will no longer be able to accept expired List B documents.

DHS adopted the temporary policy in response to the difficulties many individuals experienced with renewing documents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that document issuing authorities have reopened and/or provided alternatives to in person renewals, DHS will end this flexibility. Starting May 1, 2022, employers must only accept unexpired List B documents.

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Two years into dealing with Covid-19, the world is still trying to cope with the ever-changing numbers of the pandemic. A large group of people heavily impacted by the constant changes in regulations is the immigrants and those who look forward to it. The travel restrictions such as vaccination, PCR tests, and quarantine are only the basic requirements to enter a new border.

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In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown had brought on a halt in the visa processing of nearly all visa categories. However, as the DOS returns to normal processing, the immense workload has slowed visa processing significantly. In an attempt to remedy this, the DOS held a meeting to change certain policies and speed-up the US visa process.
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On December 28, 2021, President Biden signed a Presidential Proclamation titled “A Proclamation on Revoking Proclamation 10315.” This proclamation, which will take effect at 12:01 am Eastern Standard Time on December 31, 2021, revokes Presidential Proclamation (P.P.) 10315, which suspended the entry of certain noncitizens traveling as immigrants or nonimmigrants who were physically present in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe during the 14-day period prior to their entry or attempted entry into the United States.

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To prevent the spread of COVID-19, on November 26, 2021, President Biden signed a proclamation suspending the entry of certain noncitizens traveling as immigrants or nonimmigrants who were present in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe during the 14-day period prior to their entry or attempted entry into the United States. The suspension takes effect 12:01 AM EDT on Monday, November 29.


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With the recent announcement made by the Biden Administration regarding a more stringent international air travel policy, which becomes effective beginning on November 8th, people have more questions than ever about COVID-19 testing and vaccination requirements for international travel.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a global threat, the Biden Administration has released more details in its plans for implementing both safer and more stringent regulations for international air travel. Guided by public health standards, the updated policy puts an international travel system intended to protect the health and well-being of everyone. The new regulations start on November 8th and so now is the time to learn more about these developments.
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On October 25, 2021, President Biden issued a proclamation ending travel bans that restricted the entry of nonimmigrants present in China, Brazil, India, Iran, South Africa, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the Schengen Area.1 The proclamation also created a new rule, effective November 8, 2021, that requires all adult nonimmigrant travelers entering the United States via air travel to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with limited exceptions.
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