The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is withdrawing a final regulation that would replace the current H-1B cap lottery system with a system of allocating the annual H-1B quota according to a priority system by wage level. The withdrawal will be published…
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is extending until April 30, 2022 its relaxed enforcement of the normal requirement to physically inspect the original documents presented by new hires during the I-9 process and thus allow eligible employers to continue to implement remote I-9…
According to the State Department’s January Visa Bulletin, final action cutoff dates for issuance of an immigrant visa will be as follows: EB-1: All countries, including India and China, will remain current.EB-2: India will advance by nine weeks to July 8,…
The Departments of Homeland Security, Labor and State have issued their new regulatory agendas, which set forth each agency’s rulemaking priorities and timelines for the coming months. The following summarizes key employment-based immigration items on the agencies’ agendas. The details of proposed…
Background This premium processing expansion was included in Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act, signed into law on October 1, 2020. The law resulted in an immediate increase in the base fee for the existing program, to $2,500 from $1,440. It also…
Starting December 6, all inbound international airline passengers ages 2 and older, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status, will be required to submit a negative COVID test taken within one day of travel to the United States, in order to board their…
In response to the Omicron COVID-19 variant, President Joseph Biden has issued a presidential proclamation imposing a COVID-19 public health travel ban which prohibits the immigrant and nonimmigrant entry of foreign nationals who have been physically present in the following Southern African…
The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376), a budget reconciliation measure containing significant immigration relief and fee provisions. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. If enacted, the bill would create a…
Today, USCIS began notifying employers and their immigration counsel of the results of a third selection lottery for the FY 2022 H-1B cap. Employers withH-1B registrations selected in the third drawing will have from November 22, 2021 to February 23, 2022 to…
According to the State Department’s December Visa Bulletin, final action cutoff dates for issuance of an immigrant visa will be as follows: EB-1: All countries, including India and China, will remain current.EB-2: India will advance by five months to May 1, 2012,…