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…
Latest DOL PERM and PWD Processing Times
As of March 31, 2022, the Department of Labor (DOL) was conducting analyst review for PERM applications filed in September 2021 or earlier, and processing audited cases with priority dates of July 2021 or earlier. DOL is working on standard…
DHS Will Make Additional H-2B Visas Available for Employment in the Second Half of FY 2022
Employers will soon be able to petition for an additional 35,000 H-2B quota numbers for temporary non-agricultural employment that begins on or after April 1, 2022, through September 30, 2022. Of the 35,000 visas, 23,500 will be available to returning…
USCIS Extends Existing COVID-19 Accommodations on RFEs, NOIDs, Appeals, and Other Responses Through July 25, 2022
Due to the continuing COVID-19 emergency, USCIS is extending its deadline extension policy through July 25, 2022. Petitioners and applicants will continue to have an additional 60 days to respond to requests for evidence, notices of intent to deny or…
DHS Issues Final Rule to Expand USCIS Premium Processing Program in Phases
The regulation will expand premium processing service to additional case types, including additional categories of I-140 petitions, certain Form I-765 employment authorization document (EAD) applications, and some Form I-539 applications to change or extend status. The rule will take effect…
USCIS Completes FY 2023 H-1B Cap Selection Process
The annual quota of 85,000 new H-1B cap registrations was met in the initial registration period for employment in FY 2023, according to USCIS. The agency has completed the regular and advanced-degree selection lotteries, and has notified employers of selection…
DHS to End Temporary COVID-19 Policy on Expired List B Identity Documents on May 1, 2022
DHS has announced that it is ending its temporary policy of allowing employers to accept expired List B identity documents during the COVID-19 pandemic, effective May 1, 2022. Beginning May 1, 2022, employers may accept only unexpired List B documents. Employers will…
Reminders for Foreign Students on OPT or Planning a Change of Status to H-1B
If you are an F-1 student who has applied for or is working on optional practical training (OPT) or who will be the beneficiary of a petition to change status to H-1B in this year’s H-1B cap filing season, make…