When Immigration Matters

Department of Homeland Security announced today that with immediate effect, eligible Israeli Citizens can travel to the USA without first obtaining a visa.  Previously, this program was scheduled to take effect in November 2023.  Travel is for no more than 90 days, saving time and money in lengthy delays and sometimes costly visa applications.  Israelis will have to register with Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") Electronic System for Travel Authorization ("ESTA") in order to qualify for travel without a visa.    

On September 27, 2023, the Biden Administration announced Israel’s entry into the Visa Waiver program. Starting November 30, 2023, Israeli citizens will be able to travel to the US without the need to obtain a B-1/B-2 Visa at a US Consulate. The Visa Waiver Program, recognized worldwide, offers eligible citizens of participating countries a streamlined pathway to enter the United States for tourism, business meetings, or family visits for a period not exceeding 90 days. The traditional visa application process is replaced with a more straightforward Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application, making travel arrangements more accessible and hassle-free. Applicants applying under the program would have to file the ESTA application on the Custom and Border Protection (CBP) portal here.

Spouses and dependents of L1 visa holders are issued L2 Visas.  L-1A visas are foreign nationals who come to work in the US in a managerial or executive capacity. L-1Bs are similar, but the nature of work pertains to specialized knowledge. These are non-immigrant visas that enable you to live in the United States for a limited amount of time. 

Breaking: Tonight,  the District Court for the Northern District of California in Immigration Legal Resource Centre v. Wolf enjoined the USCIS Final Rule increasing fees.  The Final Rule was supposed to go into effect on October 2, 2020 and will not pending the final adjudication of the above referenced case.  A copy of the Order is attached at https://s.docworkspace.com/d/AC_LxhOTk6tJkISSqqWdFA

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) issues a monthly visa bulletin summarizing the availability of immigrant visa numbers.  The DOS has now issued the September 2016 Visa Bulletin.  This is the final visa bulletin for fiscal year 2016, and the new FY will begin October 1st.   

On September 25, 2015, the Department of State published a revised visa bulletin for October, rolling back the "Dates for Filing" for several visa categories. This revised September 25th Visa Bulletin supersedes the previous visa bulletin released for October published on September 9, 2015.