Understanding the New Rules Regarding Visa Applicant Interviews in Palm Beach Gardens
A visa applicant interview is an important step on the journey to your new home in the United States. During this interview, you may need to answer various questions about your life, your family, and your reasons for deciding to relocate to Florida. New rules may force applicants to attend these interviews in specific places, and this is something you might want to discuss further with an experienced immigration lawyer in Palm Beach Gardens.
What Happens During an Immigration Interview?
If you’re applying for a green card, you may need to attend a “visa interview.” This is also known as a green card interview, and it may occur at a U.S. embassy or consulate. During this interview, a consular officer or immigration official will ask you various questions. These questions might depend on the type of green card you’re applying for. If you’re applying for a work visa, the officer might interview you about your work opportunities in the United States.
If you’re applying for a family-based visa, the consular officer might interview you about your family connections. Consular officers today are much more thorough when questioning applicants. They may be particularly wary of issues like marriage fraud.
What Is the New Rule Regarding Visa Interviews?
The new rule states that visa applicants must attend their interviews at designated places. Previously, applicants had a considerable degree of freedom when choosing the location of their interviews. Even if someone was a resident of a particular country, they could attend their visa interview in a completely different country.
That has now changed. The new rules regarding these interviews state that applicants must attend their interviews within specific consular districts. Specifically, they must attend these interviews in their countries of residence. Traveling to a different country to attend an interview is no longer allowed. All immigrant categories are affected, regardless of whether you’re applying for family visas or work-based visas.
You can learn more by speaking with an experienced immigration lawyer. Each country has its own “designated post” that hosts interviews. For example, the designated post in Somalia is Nairobi. The designated post in Yemen is Djibouti, while the designated post in Zimbabwe is Johannesburg. Notice that migrants may need to leave their home nations in order to visit some of these posts. For example, residents of Zimbabwe will need to travel to South Africa to attend interviews in Johannesburg.
Can a Palm Beach Gardens Immigration Lawyer Help Me With My Interview?
Yes, a Palm Beach Gardens immigration lawyer may be able to help you prepare for your interview. While your lawyer cannot physically attend this interview, they might be able to educate you about the process beforehand. Even if you are forced to travel to a certain location in order to conduct this interview, a lawyer can still assist in various ways. Contact The Devore Law Group today to learn more.
Sources:
newsweek.com/us-visa-apllications-update-change-november-2122729
hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/us-announces-stringent-rules-for-immigrant-visa-interview-locations-starting-november-1756649045926.html
