Tips For Consular Interviews In The New Normal: Making Sure Employees Are Ready When Visa Interviews Resume

U.S. Consulates around the world are beginning to reopen and start scheduling visa appointments and it is critical for applicants to be well prepared for their interviews.  Recently, the Department of State revised its Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), to include a new, heightened adjudication standard for blanket L-1 applications. As detailed in our prior blog, the revised provision directs the Consular Officer to deny the L-1 visa if he/she "has any doubt" whether an applicant has established their L visa eligibility and if the "questions or issues cannot be resolved during the interview." So the visa applicants should be prepared to confidently, concisely and directly provide the relevant information in responding at the interview.    We strongly recommend that employees, who would be applying for blanket L visas at U.S. Consulates abroad, work closely with their immigration counsel and prepare for their visa interviews.  Oftentimes, Consular Officers have only a few