Visa Interview Waiver Program Expands to Bucharest, Romania

Embassy of the United States, Bucharest, Romania

VISA RENEWAL
Expedited Visa Renewal Pilot Program
Effective January 19, 2012, certain visa applicants meeting the requirements below may utilize the new procedure to renew their visa. The program applies to the following visa categories:
B1/B2 (Business/Tourism) Visa Applicants:
Who have a previously issued B1/B2 visa which is either still valid or has expired within the last 48 months and have been interviewed after January 1, 2008.
Visa applicants with the age of 80 or more are also entitled to use this program.
F, J*, M (Students and Exchange Visitors) Visa Applicants:
Who have a previously issued F, J*, or M visa which is either valid or has expired within the last 48 months, have been interviewed after January 1, 2008, and will continue participation in the same program or attendance at the same institution as in the previous visa.
*(Does not apply to Summer Work Travel. See Below.)
C1/D (Crew Members) Visa Applicants:
Who have a previously issued C1/D visa which is either still valid or has expired within the last 48 months and have been interviewed after January 1, 2008.
Please note that:
Visa applicants who changed their name after marriage/divorce are not eligible for this program. They will have to come to the visa interview.
J Summer Work Travel visa applicants are not eligible for this program. They will have to come to the visa interview.
If your previous passport with a U.S. visa was lost/stolen, and you meet all requirements for the visa renewal program, please submit a police report stating that your passport was lost/stolen, in addition to the required documents.
Visa applicants wishing to take advantage of this service should ensure they send their application and supporting documents to the Embassy by mail/courier services, or drop them off Monday through Thursday between 2.00 pm and 3.00 pm. All passports will be returned to the applicant via Sameday Courier as quickly as possible. When submitting your application and supporting documents, please allow time for the mail/courier service and the adjudication by a Consular Officer. Please note that we reserve the right to call applicants for an in-person interview for any reason deemed necessary by the adjudicating Consular Officer.

The following documents are mandatory for all non-immigrant applicants regardless of visa type:
a valid passport;
the original MRV fee bank receipt from Banca Transilvania; 
one photograph (See Photo Requirements); and
the DS-160 application form. 

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Why Hire An Immigration Attorney? Protect Yourself. Avoid Scams

Like with "politics" and "cooking", many people claim to be "experts" in immigration issues. As an immigrant myself, I have often encountered other immigrants who have received themselves or have known of someone else who has received the "help" of a friend or an acquittance  that claimed to be an "expert" in preparing the immigration applications for them. And while some of them were lucky enough not to suffer any negative consequences of such "help", there were unfortunately too many who were not so lucky. And their life has changed forever because of it.
Going to the wrong place for help, with such an important task - applying for an immigration benefit with the immigration government agency - may have extremely serious consequences for the life of the applicant as well as his or her family .Some of these "experts" practicing unauthorized law, often charged their victims more money then a highly trained  legal practitioner would have charged in the first place. And even in cases where they have meant well,  such "friends" have managed to disqualify the applicant of their rights, or have exposed the applicant and/or his family to deportation, in the most dramatic cases.
Most of these people practicing law without a license will lure their victims with promises of guaranteed results and "lower" costs for the process. But what is the cost if they are wrong? What is really the cost when such help is not only leaving your pockets empty but your dreams shattered as well? Is this cost worth paying?
Someone once said that immigration law is similar in complexity with the IRS code. And it surely is. It takes a lot of time and effort on the part of a legal practitioner to keep up with all the changes in the law and to make sure that the best service is provided to her clients. In the end, it is the client's life at stake. Would you rather be operated on by a "friend" or by a surgeon?
Do not let anyone steal your money and dreams away! Your  future and your family's future is worth investing in! Talk with an authorized legal professional and be sure to receive the legal help that you need and deserve.

(Please click on the title of this post so you can read more on this topic). 

Representing Clients in Removal Proceedings

After a tumultuous end of the summer and fall representing clients in immigration courts, I can finally come to some conclusions about what it takes to represent clients in removal proceedings in the current immigration climate.
First I will say that I was surprised (or not) of the tremendous response the recent Georgia immigration law had upon the local police officers. They were extremely busy arresting every person they could stop, for even a minor traffic violation, if the person was a suspect illegal immigrant. In the past couple of months, hundreds of people were arrested and, most of them, ended in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) custody.
I have read numerous articles that were describing the conditions in which these people were held in jail (for a civil offense). Even more disturbing, there were articles talking about people that have died in these "immigration jails".
I had the occasion myself to visit such a jail, in the process of helping my client, and I thought it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I had to see my client inside the jail, passing through concrete wall corridors without any windows, hearing the heavy metal doors closing behind me, and avoiding any eye contact with the prisoners that were staring behind glass walls. My client lost a lot of weight in jail because they were served one meal per day and he got sick from the air conditioned since he only had his underwear and the prisoner's jumpsuit on him. He has also told me that the immigration offenders were mingled with all the other criminal offenders.
My experience in representing the client in front of the immigration court was otherwise positive because I believed the judge was fair and the process itself enfolded the way I expected it to.
One thing is for sure: if someone does not have proper immigration documentation in United States these days, they need to seriously consider the possibility that, one day, they can find themselves in one of these immigration jails and be deported. Therefore, any person in this situation should consider talking with an immigration attorney that can evaluate their legal rights and help them to obtain legal immigration status before it is too late.