Welcome to the Visa News webpage. For important notices about changes to visa related procedures, check back later for updates to this webpage.
On March 30, 2012, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register about new procedures under consideration for some I-601 waiver applications.
Once implemented, these changes would allow certain immediate relative immigrant visa applicants (the spouse, children, or
parents of a U.S. citizen) who can demonstrate extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen spouse or parent to receive a provisional
waiver of unlawful presence bars before leaving the United States. These new procedures will not apply to family-sponsored
preference visa categories.
These new procedures are not in effect and will not be available to potential applicants until USCIS publishes a final rule
in the Federal Register specifying the effective date. USCIS will not accept applications for provisional waivers before the
effective date (not yet determined). Immigrant visa applicants are encouraged not to cancel or fail to appear for a scheduled visa interview. Please read the USCIS advisory in English and Spanish.
On January 20th, 2012 the White House unveiled new initiatives to promote the United States as a premier destination for international travelers by making our processes for moving people and goods more secure and more efficient. In a manner consistent with our high responsibility to protect America’s borders, the Department of State has taken steps to improve the visa process for all legitimate travelers who wish to visit our great nation. The Department of State has devoted significant resources to increase efficiency and capacity in the visa process, deploying additional personnel, expanding visa sections, and utilizing new systems and technologies to facilitate legitimate travel without compromising national security. These advances allowed the Department of State to issue more than 7.5 million visas in the last fiscal year, a 17% year-on-year increase. For more information, visit the Capitalizing on Visa Demand to Spur U.S. Economic Growth webpage.