The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has removed from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) an October 8, 2020 interim final rule (IFR) that would have tightened the criteria for the H-1B program. Though the Trump-era regulation never took effect due to…
Starting May 17, 2021, USCIS will temporarily suspend the in-person biometrics requirement for H-4, L-2, and E derivative nonimmigrants seeking extensions of stay and changes of status in the United States. The policy will remain in place through May 17, 2023, unless…
The Department of Labor (DOL) has confirmed that it will extend the delay of a regulation that would raise prevailing wage rates for the H-1B, H-1B1, E-3 and the PERM programs. The rule – which was set to take effect on May 14, 2021 – will…
International entrepreneurs who have established a business in the United States, can demonstrate significant U.S. funding, and show that their business has substantial potential for rapid growth and job creation may be eligible to apply for up to five years…
USCIS is soon expected to suspend the in-person biometrics requirement for H-4, L-2, and E spousal nonimmigrants seeking employment authorization documents (EADs). USCIS revealed its plans in a filing with a federal court hearing a lawsuit challenging lengthy processing delays…
Today, President Joseph Biden issued a presidential proclamation imposing a COVID-19 public health travel ban which prohibits the entry of foreign nationals who have been physically present in India within 14 days of their travel to the United States. India joins a…
The State Department has updated its policy on categories of travelers eligible for national interest exceptions (NIEs) from the regional COVID-19 travel bans in effect for Brazil, China, Iran, and South Africa. The NIE categories for these bans now align with those…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reinstated its guidance to immigration officers to defer to prior nonimmigrant petition approvals when adjudicating petition extension requests, if the facts and parties remain the same. The agency announced today that it has rescinded its…
The Department of Homeland Security is giving individuals an additional 19 months to obtain state driver’s licenses and non-driver identification cards that comply with the requirements of the REAL ID Act, due to continued state government disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline…
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will continue to implement the ban on “non-essential” travel across U.S. land borders and ferry travel with Canada and Mexico through May 21, 2021, according to a set of notifications to be published tomorrow in the Federal Register. The restrictions…