IMMIGRATION SOLUTIONS FOR YOU

Publix employees in Alabama went above and beyond their duties last week to help rescue a young customer’s stuffed bunny.

Madison Rachal, 3, was shopping with her mother Jenna at a Publix location in Daphne on Thursday, as a thunderstorm loomed just outside. Some time later, while mother and child were racing back to the car in the rain, they realized they had lost track of Bunny, a stuffed animal Madison had received from her grandfather.

On December 13, 2017, Laurence E. Tobey, Minister-Counselor for Consular Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, stated that on Monday, December 11, 2017, the U.S. consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok began to offer limited interview appointments for nonimmigrant-visa applicants. Mr. Tobey noted, however, that visa applicants requiring an interview should try to avoid applying within Russia, as Russian citizens are now permitted to apply for U.S. visas outside of Russia

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin expanding in-person interviews for certain immigration benefit applicants whose benefit, if granted, would allow them to permanently reside in the United States. This change complies with Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States,” and is part of the agency’s comprehensive strategy to further improve the detection and prevention of fraud and further enhance the integrity of the immigration system.
Effective Oct. 1, USCIS will begin to phase-in interviews for the following:
Adjustment of status applications based on employment (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status).
Refugee/asylee relative petitions (Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition) for beneficiaries who are in the United States and are petitioning to join a principal asylee/refugee applicant.
Previously, applicants in these categories did not require an in-person interview with USCIS officers in order for their application for permanent residency to be adjudicated. Beyond these categories, USCIS is planning an incremental expansion of interviews to other benefit types.
“This change reflects the Administration’s commitment to upholding and strengthening the integrity of our nation’s immigration system,” said Acting USCIS Director James W. McCament. “USCIS and our federal partners are working collaboratively to develop more robust screening and vetting procedures for individuals seeking immigration benefits to reside in the United States.”