Officials at the Embassy of Venezuela have confirmed that it will begin issuing “no objection” statement letters for Venezuelans seeking a waiver of the two-year foreign residency requirement that attached to their J-1 visa status. (No-objection letters are the first consular services to be provided by the new government.) Officials are currently working on a web-based “NOS” application process, and expect that process to be available in September. This is welcome news to the many Venezuelans who have been subject to the “skills list” or received funding for their J program from the Venezuelan government for which a no-objection letter is a prerequisite for obtaining a waiver recommendation. Those individuals have been unable to obtain certain nonimmigrant visas, such as Hs and Ls, and have been unable to adjust their status to green card holders even if married to a U.S. citizen.

The Embassy is currently maintaining a consular registry, and some 350 people are already registered. Venezuelan nationals are encouraged to register at https://us.embajadavenezuela.org/