Here’s the latest breakdown of Trump's Travel Ban.

US Visa: Travel Risks Explained by an Immigration Lawyer in Houston

I’m going to start out by saying something that might surprise you, but it’s true: Having a visa in your passport or clearance through the Visa Waiver ESTA portal does not mean you will be allowed to enter the U.S., It’s hard to believe, but even after a person is approved for a US visa at an Embassy or Consulate, or is cleared by Customs and Border Protection through ESTA, CBP has the authority to refuse entry to a person. Here are some travel risks explained by an immigration lawyer in Houston.

Immigration lawyer: Customs and Border Protection Announces New Electronic Data Entry Program for Visitors from China 

Until late 2014, visitors to the United States from China had to apply for visitor visas, which were valid for only one year. This meant that Chinese visitors had to renew their visas every year to be able to continue visiting the United States. While this might not sound like a big inconvenience, business visitors who periodically attend meetings in the United States, and investors reviewing investment opportunities were required to apply for new visas – and risk being denied the visa – each year. For anyone not familiar with the process of applying for a visitor visa, U.S. immigration law presumes that everyone is seeking to immigrate to the United States. In other words, everyone applying for a visa intends to live in the U.S. permanently.)

When we watch our favorite TV channels (take, for example, HGTV’s House Hunters International), we see happy folks making a decision to move to another country, and simply arriving there. The important decisions are what type of house to live in, what’s the best location, and how much do I have to pay for it? As we watch, few of us stop to ask if these people, who are often Americans, applied for the right visa, obtained an immigration lawyer, were vetted through security clearances, and if their purpose for being in this new country accords with their legal status. (When was the last time you asked yourself, Are they authorized to work in Costa Rica? Are they allowed to own a business in Mexico?)

The U.S. Department of State has issued the December 2015 Visa Bulletin. Of note:

Kathryn N. Karam in HoustonNewcomerGuides.com on the importance of checking your arrival/departure record.

Read Kathryn N. Karam's latest article for Oilpro.com on Oil and Gas Companies' options after the H-1B cap filled up yesterday.

USCIS issued an announcement that it will begin accepting H-1B petitions for the fiscal year 2016 on April 1, 2015.

On Friday, House Republicans introduced legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security but stop the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program implemented in 2012, and the new executive actions announced by President Obama in November 2014, including the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program. The legislation is not expected to pass the Senate and is intended to be a symbolic gesture to show how far Republicans are willing to go to contest actions taken by President Obama, according to the New York Times.