Immigration Agencies Announce Their Spring 2022 Regulatory Plans
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to support a proposed rule to amend aspects of the H-1B program, including a redefinition of the employer-employee relationship and clarification of petition amendment requirements, particularly in changes of work location. The Department…
Biden Administration to Suspend COVID Testing Requirement for International Travelers
Beginning Sunday, June 12, international air travelers will no longer be required to show a negative COVID test result to board flights to the United States, Biden Administration officials have indicated. Nonimmigrant travelers remain subject to U.S. COVID vaccination requirements,…
July 2022 Visa Bulletin – Advancement in EB-2 India and China
The EB-2 India Final Action date will advance by three months, to December 1, 2014. The EB-2 China Final Action date will advance by one month, to April 1, 2019. EB-1 will remain current for all countries. EB-2 and EB-3…
May 2022 DOL PERM and PWD Processing Times
As of May 31, 2022, the Department of Labor (DOL) was conducting analyst review for PERM applications filed in November 2021 or earlier, and processing audited cases with priority dates of September 2021 or earlier. DOL is working on standard…
DHS Designates Cameroon for TPS, Expands Employment Options for Cameroonian Students
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas has designated Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, from June 7, 2022 through December 7, 2023. The registration period for eligible individuals to submit TPS applications will run for that same…
Cap Reached for Additional H-2B Returning Worker Visas for Second Half of FY 2022
USCIS has received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 23,500 H-2B visas recently made available to returning workers. As the number of petitions received in the first five business days of the filing period exceeded the 23,500…
Premium Processing Upgrades for Pending EB-1 Multinational Manager and EB-2 National Interest Waiver I-140 Petitions to Begin in June and July
Beginning June 1, USCIS will accept Form I-907 Premium Processing upgrade requests for pending EB-1 Multinational Manager Form I-140 petitions that were filed on or before January 1, 2021. Beginning July 1, USCIS will accept Form I-907 Premium Processing upgrade…
DHS Designates Afghanistan for TPS, Expands Employment Options for Afghan Students
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas has designated Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, from May 20, 2022 through November 20, 2023. The registration period for eligible individuals to submit TPS applications will run for that same…
Certain Travelers Departing from Shanghai Exempt from Pre-Departure COVID Testing Through June 10
Through 11:59 PM EDT on June 10, 2022, U.S. citizens and nationals, U.S. lawful permanent residents (LPRs), valid U.S. immigrant visa holders, and nonimmigrants traveling with U.S. citizens and LPRs who are departing from Shanghai, China, are exempt from providing…
June 2022 Visa Bulletin Update – USCIS to Honor Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Categories
Next month, USCIS will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is earlier than the Final Action Dates listed in the State Department’s June 2022 Visa Bulletin. Employment-Based Priority Date Cutoffs for June…
June 2022 Visa Bulletin – Significant Advancement in EB-2 India, Most Other Employment-Based Categories Remain Unchanged
The EB-2 India Final Action date will advance by a full year, to September 1, 2014. The previously current EB-5 China Unreserved Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5) categories will be subject to a Final Action Date of November 22, 2015…
April 2022 DOL PERM and PWD Processing Times
As of April 30, 2022, the Department of Labor (DOL) was conducting analyst review for PERM applications filed in October 2021 or earlier, and processing audited cases with priority dates of August 2021 or earlier. DOL is working on standard…
State Department Selects FY 2023 Diversity Visa Lottery Winners
Lottery entrants must check the State Department’s official Diversity Visa Lottery website to learn whether they have been chosen. Entrants may experience delays accessing the official website due to heavy user traffic. The State Department does not send direct notification to lottery winners. Successful…
USCIS Issues Temporary Final Rule Lengthening Automatic Work Authorization Extension for Certain EAD Renewal Applicants
Effective May 4, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will temporarily increase the automatic extension period of expiring Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for certain EAD renewal applicants, from the current maximum of 180 days to a temporary new maximum of…
EAD Auto-Extension Regulation Clears Federal Review
A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) final rule that would temporarily increase the automatic extension period of employment authorization documents for certain renewal applicants has cleared the Office of Management and Budget, putting it closer to publication and implementation.…
Humanitarian Parole Process for Ukrainian Citizens Opens Today
Starting today, Ukrainian citizens can be sponsored for humanitarian parole online under the Uniting for Ukraine program, a new application process. To qualify, beneficiaries must have been resident in Ukraine immediately prior to the Russian invasion through February 11, 2022,…
ICE Extends Interim COVID-19 Flexibility for Form I-9 Compliance Through October 31, 2022
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 emergency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is extending its flexible I-9 document inspection policy through October 31, 2022. Eligible employers will continue to be permitted to review I-9 identity and employment authorization documents without conducting…
DHS Announces Humanitarian Parole for Ukrainian Citizens
Beginning April 25, Ukrainian citizens can be sponsored for humanitarian parole online under a new streamlined process. To qualify, applicants must have been resident in Ukraine as of February 11, 2022, have a U.S. sponsor, meet certain vaccination and other…
DHS Indefinitely Extends COVID Vaccination Requirement for Non-U.S. Travelers Entering by Land or Ferry from Canada or Mexico
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will continue to require non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States from Canada or Mexico by land or ferry for all purposes – including “essential” activities such as work, business or education –…
Certain Travelers Departing from Shanghai Exempt from Pre-Departure COVID Testing Through May 11
Through 11:59 PM EDT on May 11, 2022, U.S. citizens and nationals, U.S. lawful permanent residents (LPRs), valid U.S. immigrant visa holders, and nonimmigrants traveling with U.S. citizens and LPRs who are departing from Shanghai, China, are exempt from providing…
DHS Designates Sudan for TPS; Expands Employment Options for Sudanese Students
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas has designated Sudan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, from April 19, 2022 through October 19, 2023. The registration period for eligible individuals to submit TPS applications will run from April…
DHS Designates Ukraine for TPS; Expands Employment Options for Ukrainian Students
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas has designated Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, from April 19, 2022 through October 19, 2023. The registration period for eligible individuals to submit TPS applications will run from April 19,…
DHS Designates Cameroon for TPS
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced an 18-month designation of Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), to take effect upon publication of an upcoming Federal Register notice. Cameroonian nationals eligible for this designation must have continuously resided in…
Nearly 484,000 Registrations Were Received for the FY 2023 H-1B Cap, USCIS Reveals
Employers submitted 483,927 H-1B cap registrations this year, an approximate 57% increase over the FY 2022 filing season. USCIS selected 127,600 FY 2023 registrations to meet the H-1B quota, or approximately 26% of the total registrations. During the FY 2022 season, USCIS…
May 2022 Visa Bulletin Update – USCIS to Honor Filing Dates for Employment-Based Categories
Next month, USCIS will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is earlier than the Dates for Filing listed in the State Department’s May 2022 Visa Bulletin. Employment-Based Priority Date Cutoffs for May…