USCIS has issued extensive policy guidance and new application forms as it prepares to implement its new public charge regulation starting February 24, 2020. Applicants for adjustment of status, as well as sponsoring employers and beneficiaries of applications to change…
Jurisdictions around the world have been issuing travel advisories, cancelling visa appointments, implementing limited travel restrictions, closing government offices, and taking other measures in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Notably, many consular posts and visa application…
As expected, a new edition of the I-9 employment eligibility verification form has been issued for public use. The new edition is dated 10/21/2019 and will become mandatory on May 1, 2020. Through April 30, 2020, employers can continue to use the previous…
President Trump has signed a presidential proclamation that suspends certain immigrant visa issuance to foreign nationals from several countries, primarily in Africa, with some exceptions. Foreign nationals from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar (Burma), and Nigeria will not be issued any immigrant visas under…
Starting February 24, 2020, a regulation that broadens USCIS’s authority to determine whether certain foreign nationals will become a public charge of the United States and expands the inquiry to nonimmigrants seeking an extension or change of status is set to…
The White House has issued a presidential proclamation that will impose travel restrictions and quarantines on travelers from China. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II announced late Friday in a White House press conference that the coronavirus…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data for the first quarter of FY 2020 show continued high rates of requests for evidence (RFEs) and denials in key employer-sponsored nonimmigrant categories, though there was some improvement in H-1B outcomes. The overall…
A new version of the I-9 employment eligibility form (10/21/2019 edition) is expected to be available to employers tomorrow, but the prior version (07/17/17 edition) will remain in effect for 90 days thereafter, according to an advance notice. Specific implementation dates for the…
President Trump today signed H.R. 5430, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act, which ratifies the trade agreement that will soon replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). H.R. 5430 was passed by Congress on January 16. The leaders of Canada,…
The Department of State posted the visa bulletin for February today. USCIS advised that it will accept family and employment-based adjustment of status petitions for February based upon the filing date. See https://www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for the updated information. Overview of Visa Bulletin…