This module contains the certificate and CLE information and certificate for the AILA Consular Processing Online Course.

In this module you will learn about the various non-visa consular services available to U.S. citizens, their family members, and permanent residents, including those related to the acquisition and loss of U.S. nationality, requests for travel documents, and services for U.S. citizens living abroad. 

Faculty:

Rebecca Kay Rangel, Chicago, IL

Katie C. L. Fitchett, London, U.K.

This module will cover visa refusals, consular reviewability, and “appeals” when things go wrong for your client at the consulate. It includes discussions of relevant definitions in denials at the consulate, prudential visa revocations, practical tips and ethical considerations for dealing with a refusal at a post, and an overview for challenging DOS decisions in court.

Faculty: 

Jeffrey Howard Gorsky (DL), Arlington, VA

David Strashnoy, Los Angeles, CA

In this module you will learn how to identify potential causes of inadmissibility and determine whether a waiver is available for each. You will learn the essential elements of a waiver application, the process for requesting waivers, the relevant agencies involved in waiver adjudication, and the impact of waivers on consular processing.

Faculty:

Steven D. Heller (DL), Online Course Committee Member, AILA DOS Liaison Committee Member, Lewes, U.K.

Mahsa Khanbabai, AILA DOS Liaison Committee Member, Easton, MA

Ofelia L. Calderon , Fairfax, VA

Leigh Ganchan, Houston, TX

In this module, you will learn the steps for immigrant visa processing once USCIS has approved the petition and the case is transferred to DOS. Our expert faculty will walk you through processing at the National Visa Center, the visa interview and issuance at the U.S. consulate, and entry into the United States. They will cover family (including K visas), employment, and “other” types of immigrant visas, and advise on best practices when consular processing.

Faculty: 

Lynn Marie Lee (DL), Online Course Committee Member, Springfield, VA

Ramon E. Curiel, AILA Board of Governors/CBP Liaison Committee Vice Chair, San Antonio, TX

Matthew T. Galati, AILA Board of Governors/EB-5 Investor Committee Member, Elkins Park, PA

Jeremy A. Weber, AILA Bylaws Committee Chair/ USCIS HQ (Benefits Policy) Liaison Committee Member, Sydney, Australia 

In this module you will learn what is unique about petition-based consular processing. E, H, L, O, P, and R petitions will be covered. Our expert faculty will provide tips on best practices, and discuss the process and governing rules concerning reconsideration and possible revocation of a petition while attending a consular interview. 

Faculty: 

Nita Nicole Upadhye (DL), London, U.K.

Nikki Dryden, AILA DOS Liaison Committee Member, Sydney, Australia

This module reviews the basic procedures for applying for E-1, E-2 and E-3 visas at U.S. consular posts abroad. The focus will be on establishing a balance between the statutory requirements and procedural requirements, which vary from post to post. 

Faculty:

Teri A. Simmons (DL), Atlanta, GA

Cindy Azoulay, AILA Board of Governors/Online Course Committee Member, Ramat Gan, Israel

Michelle Suzanne Canero, Miami, FL

Henry J. Chang, Toronto, Canada

This module will cover nonimmigrant visas where there is not an underlying approved petition, with the exception of E-1, E-2 (treaty-based visa categories), and E-3 visas (these will be addressed in another module). Visas that do not require a preapproved petition from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are considered standalone visas and will not be covered. Specifically, our expert faculty will discuss the multiple uses of B (annotated Bs), I, J, F, M, and Blanket L visas. You will learn about how and when these visa types are best used, and what their adjudication criteria are (as set out in the FAM). Booking visa interview appointments, making biometric appointments, paying visa fees, and what an applicant needs to bring to the different appointments also will be addressed.

Faculty: 

Poorvi Rohit Chothani (DL), Online Course Committee Member, Mumbai, India

Ganesh Kalyanaraman, AILA Board of Governors, Sacramento, CA 

Becki L. Young, AILA Client Resources Committee Chair, Silver Spring, MD

Consular officers in over 160 U.S. embassies and consulates around the world serve two key functions:

• to provide essential services to U.S. citizens abroad; and
• to provide visa services to millions of travelers seeking to visit or immigrate to the United States.

The precise role of consular officers in performing these functions is complex, however, and can be both confusing and opaque even to seasoned practitioners. In this module, our expert faculty will provide a comprehensive examination of consular processing. They will discuss how the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and its embassies and consulates function, shed light on the services consular officers provide and the basis of the authority they wield, and place the function of consular officers in relation to other components of the U.S. government both in Washington and within the embassy itself.

Faculty:

Stephen R. Pattison (DL), Online Course Committee Vice Chair/Department of State (DOS) Liaison Committee Member, Portsmouth, NH

Bushra A. Malik, AILA Board of Governors/Global Migration Section (GMS) Steering Committee Member, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Margaret Hobbins, Bethesda, MD