Law Office of Dennis Ortiguera, Esq.

Law Office of Dennis Ortiguera, Esq. My office strives to provide high quality legal representation to clients in a wide variety of immigration cases.

My commitment is to provide a high level of service and representation at a reasonable cost to clients.

12/22/2025

Bond Requirement for visitor visas to the US (Updated list)
The U.S. Department of State is implementing a 12-month visa bond program, which applies to B1/B2 visa applicants. The program requires visa applicants to post a Maintenance of Status and Departure Bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 at the Consular Officer’s discretion, before visa issuance.
Those subject to the bond will be issued an annotated, single-entry visa with a 3-month validity period, to be admitted by CBP for a maximum period of 30 days only.
Not every visa applicant is subject to the bond requirement. As of December 17, 2025, the list of countries subject to the bonds and the effective date for each are:
Bhutan (January 1, 2026)
Botswana (January 1, 2026)
Central African Republic (January 1, 2026)
Guinea (January 1, 2026)
Guinea Bissau (January 1, 2026)
Namibia (January 1, 2026)
Turkmenistan (January 1, 2026)
Mauritania (October 23, 2025)
Sao Tome and Principe (October 23, 2025)
Tanzania (October 23, 2025)
The Gambia (October 11, 2025)
Malawi (August 20, 2025)
Zambia (August 20, 2025)
The bond requirement applies regardless of the place of application.

09/22/2025

Summary of the New $100,000 H‑1B Rule (September 2025).
There have been changes and clarifications to the original proclamation. This is what I know to date (9/22/2025).

What the Rule Is
On September 19, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation called “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers.”
- Employers filing new H‑1B petitions for workers outside the U.S. must pay $100,000 at the time of filing.
- Without payment, the petition will be denied.
- Rule lasts for 12 months from Sept 21, 2025, and may be extended.

Who are Affected:
- Employers filing new H‑1B petitions after Sept 21, 2025, for beneficiaries outside the U.S. In other words, the 2026 H-1B lottery applicants outside the US.

Who are Not Affected:
- Current H‑1B visa holders (even if abroad) are not required to pay to re-enter.
- Petitions filed prior to Sept 21, 2025.
- Renewals, extensions, or amendments for existing H‑1Bs.
- Cases exempted under the “national interest” exception.

Clarifications / Uncertainties
- Fee is one‑time per petition, not annual.
- Existing H‑1Bs will not pay again just for reentry.
- Impact on changes of status (e.g. F‑1 to H‑1B) still uncertain.
- Application of the “national interest” exception remains unclear.

08/12/2025

I have received numerous inquiries regarding the new bond requirement for those applying for tourist visas. Here is a summary of the latest information. To avoid any panic, please note that this program does not apply to all countries.

Visa bond pilot program
The Department of State has launched a 12-month Visa Bond Pilot Program for B-1/B-2 visa applicants from select countries. As of today, only the countries of Malawi and Zambia are covered. More countries can be added in the future. The program is to last until August 5, 2026. After that, the Department of State can make it permanent or scrap the program.

Bond Requirement:
Consular officers can, at their discretion, require applicants to post a Maintenance of Status and Departure Bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, with $10,000 being the standard amount.

Visa & Entry Conditions:
Subject applicants receive annotated, single-entry visas with a 3-month validity, are admitted for a maximum of 30 days, and must enter/depart through designated POEs: Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, or Washington Dulles International Airport.

Bond Return:
Bonds are canceled (returned) if the applicant complies with visa terms, such as not working without authorization and departing before I-94 expiration, or if the visa is denied or entry refused. Manual cancellation requests are also possible.

Bond Forfeiture:
Bonds are forfeited if the applicant violates status, files unexcused/untimely change/extension of status, overstays their I-94, or fails to depart after a denied status change/extension.

A new intelligent voter in Ohio. Congratulations!
07/26/2025

A new intelligent voter in Ohio. Congratulations!

06/25/2025

A record high of nearly 59,000 individuals are currently in ICE detention, with almost half having no criminal record, prompting renewed calls for improved due process and detention standards that uphold human rights and dignity. From CBS News.

Recharged after attending an immigration law conference. Bring it!
06/21/2025

Recharged after attending an immigration law conference. Bring it!

04/03/2025

Tip for travelling US permanent residents: Do not sign Form I-407 Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status. CBP will pressure, trick and threaten you but you can only be refused entry if you sign the form abandoning your status or you volunteer to board the next flight back. CBP Officers cannot revoke your green card and refuse your entry, even if you have a negative record. Only an immigration court judge can take away your permanent resident status.

03/07/2025

Alien Registration Requirement
On Jan. 20, 2025, President Trump issued the Protecting the American People Against Invasion executive order which directed the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that aliens comply with their duty to register with the government under the law. Failure to comply is treated as a civil and criminal enforcement priority.
Who has already registered?
• Lawful permanent residents;
• Aliens paroled into the United States under INA 212(d)(5), even if the period of parole has expired;
• Aliens admitted to the United States as nonimmigrants who were issued Form I-94 or I-94W (paper or electronic), even if the period of admission has expired;
• All aliens present in the United States who were issued immigrant or nonimmigrant visas prior to arrival;
• Aliens whom DHS has placed into removal proceedings;
• Aliens issued an employment authorization document;
• Aliens who have applied for lawful permanent residence using Forms I-485, I-687, I-691, I-698, I-700, even if the applications were denied; and,
• Aliens issued Border Crossing Cards.

Who must apply for registration
• All aliens 14 years of age or older who were not registered and fingerprinted (if required) when applying for a visa to enter the United States and who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer. They must apply before the expiration of those 30 days.
• Any alien, whether previously registered or not, who turns 14 years old in the United States, within 30 days after their 14th birthday.

Who is not registered?
• Aliens who are present in the United States without inspection and admission or inspection and parole;
• Canadian visitors who entered the United States at land ports of entry and were not issued evidence of registration; and,

DHS will soon announce a form and process for aliens to complete the registration requirement.

Congratulations to the new US citizens! Father Carlo Calisin, Maureen Leuzzi, Maria Goicochea and Jesus Serna. Thank you...
02/06/2024

Congratulations to the new US citizens! Father Carlo Calisin, Maureen Leuzzi, Maria Goicochea and Jesus Serna. Thank you for sharing your photos and your joy with me.

01/31/2024

H-1B lottery update
USCIS has announced that the registration period for the H-1B lottery will open on March 6, 2024, and run through March 22, 2024. Starting with the FY 2025 registration period, USCIS will require registrants to provide valid passport information or valid travel document information.

In-person consultations are now available
10/05/2023

In-person consultations are now available

08/24/2022

Biden Reboots DACA Protections For 'Dreamers'
The Biden administration rebooted Obama-era protections for unauthorized migrants brought to the U.S. as children, passing a final rule that will allow the colloquially labeled Dreamers to temporarily remain in the country.

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