Geygan & Geygan, Ltd.

A Cincinnati Immigration Law Firm

Suspension of Routine Visa Services by Embassies

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In response to significant worldwide challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of State is temporarily suspending routine visa services at all U.S. Embassies and Consulates. Embassies and consulates will cancel all routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments as of March 20, 2020. As resources allow, embassies and consulates will continue to provide emergency and mission critical visa services. Our overseas missions will resume routine visa services as soon as possible but are unable to provide a specific date at this time. 

  • Individuals interested in the operations of a particular post should contact that embassy or consulate directly.  Contact information for embassies and consulates worldwide is available at usembassy.gov.
  • Applicants with an urgent matter and need to travel immediately should follow the guidance provided at the Embassy’s website to request an emergency appointment. Examples of an urgent matter include air and sea crew, and medical personnel, particularly those working to treat or mitigate the effects of COVID-19.
  • This does not affect the Visa Waiver Program. See https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/faq?focusedTopic=Schengen%20Travel%20Proclamation for more information.
  • Although all routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments are cancelled, the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee is valid and may be used for a visa appointment in the country where it was purchased within one year of the date of payment.

USCIS Proposed Fee Increases

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This morning I received an advanced copy of USCIS proposed fee increases. The notice will become official on November 14th. For the second time in a row, USCIS proposes increasing their fees an average of 21%.

Below are some of the proposed fee changes:

Current FeeProposed FeeChange
K-1$535.00 $520.00 ($15.00)
I-130$535.00 $555.00 $20.00
AOS Packet$1,760.00 $2,750.00 $990.00
I-485$1,140.00 $1,120.00 ($20.00)
I-751$595.00 $760.00 $165.00
N-400$640.00 $1,170.00 $530.00
I-526$3,675.00 $4,015.00 $340.00
E-2$460.00 $705.00 $245.00
I-601 A$630.00 $960.00 $330.00
I-765$410.00 $490.00 $80.00

TPS to Green Card

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USCIS Issues Policy Memorandum Designating AAO Decision in Matter of H-G-G- as an Adopted Decision

USCIS issued a policy memo designating Matter of H-G-G- as an adopted decision, noting that “For purposes of adjustment of status under section 245 of the Act, a recipient of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is considered as being in and maintaining lawful status as a nonimmigrant only during the period that TPS is in effect; a grant of TPS does not constitute an admission, nor does it cure or otherwise impact any previous unlawful status.” Matter of H-G-G-, Adopted Decision 2019-01 (AAO July 31, 2019)

USCIS to make processing for Citizenship and Green Cards more confusing

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As USCIS begins to shift caseloads between field offices they may schedule applicants to appear for an interview at a field office outside of their normal jurisdiction. Applicants may receive an interview appointment notice or other types of notices (such as a Request for Evidence) from a field office outside of their normal jurisdiction. However, these caseload changes will not affect where applicants attend their biometrics appointments. We will still direct them to the nearest application support center. Applicants should follow the instructions on any notices they receive from USCIS.

As we get the notices for interviews we will let you know when and where we will need to appear. Mr. Geygan will still appear at the interview.

USCIS Policy on Report of Medical Examination

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USCIS Policy Manual Update
USCIS is revising policy guidance for the validity period of Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.

The updated policy, which goes into effect on Nov. 1, 2018, will require applicants to submit a Form I-693 that is signed by a civil surgeon no more than 60 days before filing the underlying application for an immigration benefit. The Form I-693 would remain valid for a two-year period following the date the civil surgeon signed it. As such, USCIS is retaining the current maximum two-year validity period of Form I-693, but calculating it in a different manner to both enhance operational efficiencies and reduce the number of requests to applicants for an updated Form I-693.

USCIS officers use Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, to determine whether an applicant for an immigration benefit in the United States is inadmissible under the health-related grounds of inadmissibility. By specifying that the Form I-693 must be signed no more than 60 days before the applicant files the underlying application for which Form I-693 is required, the validity of the form is more closely tied to the timing of the underlying application.

Additionally, requiring submission of a Form I-693 that was signed no more than 60 days before the date the underlying application was filed may, in some cases, maximize the period of time Form I-693 will be valid while the underlying application is under USCIS review. Officers will still have the discretion, as they have always had, to request a new Form I-693 if they have reason to believe an applicant may be inadmissible on the health-related grounds. Delays in adjudicating the underlying application will also be reduced if fewer requests for updated Forms I-693 are necessary.

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