Business Immigration Insights

Prior to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 U.S. consular officers were able to process and approve many visa applications without interviews using the Dropbox procedure.  After 9/11, when it became known that several of the terrorists who carried out the attacks had received visas in Saudi Arabia without personal interviews, the Department of State seriously curtailed access to the Dropbox for visa issuance and renewals, limiting these to diplomatic and official visa applicants.

The Department of State has revised its guidelines instructing consular officers with a new standard to apply in determining whether the United States has a public interest in granting waiver relief to certain nonimmigrant visa applicants.

For the second time in the past ten years, the Supreme Court has upheld the doctrine of consular non-reviewability of visa decisions and denied relief to the U.S. citizen spouse seeking to challenge the denial of a visa to a spouse. 

On Tuesday, January 16, 2018, the new US Embassy in London will be operational for all US visa, consular,  and US citizen services.

The new address is: 33 Nine Elms Lane, London SW11 7US.  Any appointments already scheduled will be held at the new address.