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Saint Luke's Extension Clinic just announced MANDATORY completion of COVID vaccination before any medical will be issued in the Philippines.  Pretty much putting to rest any speculation about what COVID vaccine policy will be going forward.  No vaccine, no medical report.  If it is a two dose vaccine both doses must be completed on schedule for a medical report to be issued.

The latest September US Visa Bulletin data has been released, along with VisaJourney's October estimates.  See below...

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is temporarily extending the validity fof Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, from two to four years due to COVID-19-related delays

Canada lifted its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit on Monday while the United States is maintaining similar restrictions for Canadians, part of a bumpy return to normalcy from COVID-19 travel bans.

The US is developing a plan to require foreign visitors to be vaccinated as part of eventually lifting travel restrictions that bar much of the world from entering the United States

We've uploaded the latest official family based US visa processing trends for June 2021!

The latest US Visa Bulletin data has been released, along with VisaJourney's September estimates.  See below...

Have you wondered how affected international travel has been due to Covid?  The Caribbean seems to be recovering (US vacations?) but everything else is still significantly down.  Asia is 6% of pre-Covid levels.  Europe is 9% of pre-Covid levels.  Central and South America are at 50% of pre-Covid levels.  We mined relevant data through March of this year (below).
 

 

I just learned that Utah allows for online marriage license applications. Are we allowed to apply for our marriage license before my fiance enters the US... then have a Zoom wedding once she arrives? Is this the fasted way to get married?

USCIS will now issue initial and renewal EADs to adjustment applicants that are valid for 2 years. Replacement EADs will not be affected by this update; USCIS will continue to issue replacement EADs with the same validity dates as the original EAD. This guidance is effective immediately.

After a rough year of Covid, several busy US Consulates are struggling to restore processing of important family Visas (K1, C/IR1 and IR5s).  VisaJourney did a deep dive into the numbers and the results are surprising (and frustrating).

We've had tons of questions on whether the Manila US Consulate in the Philippines has been approving marriage based US Visas (and if so at what rate).  To answer that, we dug into the official US State Department data.... what we found was surprising (and frustrating).

June 2021 US Visa Bulletin Dates are Released! As we do every month, we've also included July estimates as well.

My green card was mailed out on April 15 and I still haven't received it. I approached USPS and they have no clue where the card is. Anyone have any idea what my next steps should be?

How are you dealing with your long distance relationship during covid? My boyfriend and I have been apart for a year already and I am feeling so drained, he's also in the military so I guess it gets a little more complicated. 😢  Hopefully we'll be able to reunite soon and all of this mess will come to an end.

I’m staying with my fiancé for about a month and a half, and we’ve decided to definitely go for the Zoom marriage... Are we on the right track? Thanks in advance!

Congrats to the 171 VisaJourney members from nearly 55 countries that were approved for US Visas in March!

My husband and I married through a Utah Online marriage ceremony (via Zoom) in September 2020. I visited him in Costa Rica in October 2020 and filed for the CR-1. Our I-130 was approved January 29, 2021.  

My husband passed his interview this morning and now we await his passport and POE in the coming weeks.

I am Canadian and I recently got married to an American. I was staying in the US and took a quick trip home and on my way back to the US was denied entry... help!

March Visa Bulletin and April estimates are now out!  Decent movement this month.
 

The White House has released a proposal for the US Citizenship Act of 2021 to: 1) Provide pathways to US Citizenship, 2) Strengthen labor relations, 3) Prioritize smarter borders, 4) Address root causes of migration.

I plan to move to the US as soon as possible, get married and file for AOS along with an EAD. I have a job with a non-US company that has me working remotely. I can continue to do that legally from the US, before my EAD is issued?

President Joe Biden will sign a travel ban Monday on most non-U.S. citizens entering the country who were recently in South Africa. He will also reinstate travel restrictions on the entry of non-U.S. citizens from the U.K. and Brazil, where new Covid strains have emerged. The restrictions will also apply to Ireland and much of Europe. Former President Donald Trump had rescinded the restrictions just before Biden took office.

Most air passengers coming to the U.S. from abroad, including children from the age of two, will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their trip. The new rules, introduced by the CDC, come into effect Jan. 26. Only certain passengers transiting through the country or coming from places with little testing capacity will be able to enter the country without a negative test. The U.S. currently bans most visitors from Brazil and Europe.

VisaJourney members discuss the pros and cons of choosing between a K-1 fiance and CR-1 spouse US visa in 2021