NEWS & ALERTS

  • 22 Feb
    2022

    On February 12, 2022, the Department of State ordered the departure of most U.S. direct hire employees from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action. The Department previously authorized the voluntary departure of U.S. direct hire employees and ordered the departure of eligible family members on January 23, 2022.

    On Sunday, February 13, 2022, the Department of State suspended consular services to include interview waiver services at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. Applicants for U.S. nonimmigrant visas may apply in any country in which they are physically present and where there are appointments available. As each U.S. Embassy has specific application procedures, you should contact?the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you?wish?to apply directly.??Contact information for U.S. Embassies and Consulates is available at?www.travel.state.gov.

    If you have an immigrant visa case currently pending with U.S. Embassy Kyiv and would like to transfer processing of an immigration case to another U.S. Embassy, you must?contact?the?receiving U.S Embassy?in that?country to authorize and initiate transfer.? The Embassy will have a list of requirements which must be satisfied in order to begin the transfer process.

    Travel after November 8, 2021:  On October 25, President Biden announced the United States will adopt a global air travel policy.?This policy prioritizes public health, protecting U.S. citizens and residents as well as those who come to visit us.?Effective November 8, all non-citizen, nonimmigrant (not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or traveling to the United States on an immigrant visa) airline passengers traveling to the United States, must demonstrate proof of vaccination as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Order prior to boarding a U.S. bound aircraft. More details regarding what constitutes full vaccination are available on this page of the CDC website.

    All travelers to the United States, regardless of vaccination status, must show a pre-departure negative COVID-19 viral test taken within one (1) day of travel to the United States prior to boarding.?This applies to all travelers – U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), and foreign nationals. Additional information may be found on CDC’s website.

    Passengers will need to show their vaccination status, and airlines will need to:

    • Match the name and date of birth to confirm the passenger is the same person reflected on the proof of vaccination.
    • Determine that the record was issued by an official source (e.g., public health agency, government agency) in the country where the vaccine was given.
    • Review the essential information for determining if the passenger meets CDC’s definition for fully vaccinated such as vaccine product, number of vaccine doses received, date(s) of administration, site (e.g., vaccination clinic, healthcare facility) of vaccination.

    Airlines must deny boarding to passengers who do not meet these requirements or those who test positive for COVID-19.

    If you need more information or have any questions call 407-226-3659 to schedule a free consultation at our Orlando or Tampa office.