U.S. Visa Revalidation Pilot Coming This Year, State Department Official Says
In an interview with Bloomberg Law, a State Department official said the agency would begin a pilot program this year to allow certain foreign nationals to revalidate expired and expiring visas in the United States, without the need to travel…
Extension of Working Holiday/Work and Travel Program Between Ireland and the United States
The United States and Ireland have agreed to extend their Working Holiday/Intern Work and Travel Program for an additional five years. Established in 2008, the program allows Irish citizens or permanent residents who are students or recent graduates to spend up to 12…
DHS Announces Automatic Extension of Hong Kong DED-Related EADs
The Department of Homeland Security has announced an automatic two-year extension of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for individuals benefiting from Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Hong Kong. Hong Kong DED-related EADs expiring on February 5, 2023 have been automatically extended…
USCIS Announces Registration Schedule for FY 2024 H-1B Cap Season
The FY 2024 cap registration period will open at noon ET on March 1, 2023 and will close at noon ET on March 17, 2023. All cap registrations must be drafted and submitted online during this period. Prospective H-1B cap…
President Biden Extends and Expands Deferred Enforced Departure for Hong Kong
President Biden has approved a two-year extension for Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for eligible Hong Kong residents. The President has also authorized an expansion of DED to cover eligible Hong Kong residents who arrived in the United States after the…
DHS Extends and Redesignates Haiti for Temporary Protected Status, Extends Relaxed Employment Options for Haitian F-1 Students
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended and redesignated Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), from February 4, 2023 through August 3, 2024. The initial registration period for new TPS applicants will run from January 26, 2023 through August…
USCIS Extends COVID-19 Accommodations on RFEs, NOIDs, Appeals, and Other Responses Through March 23, 2023; Likely the Final Policy Extension
Due to the continuing impact of COVID-19, USCIS is extending its deadline extension policy through March 23, 2023. Petitioners and applicants will continue to have an additional 60 days to respond to requests for evidence, notices of intent to deny…
USCIS Extends Green Card Validity for Conditional Permanent Residents with a Pending Form I-751 or Form I-829
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it is extending the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (green cards) for petitioners who properly file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent…
USCIS Agrees to Resume Processing H-4 and L-2 Dependent Applications with a Principal’s Form I-129, Per Litigation Settlement
Under a settlement agreement struck in federal court late last week, USCIS will adjudicate H-4 and L-2 applications for extensions or changes of status and work authorization with a principal’s Form I-129 nonimmigrant petition when those forms are concurrently filed.…
February 2023 Visa Bulletin Update – USCIS to Honor Dates for Filing 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 February 2023 Visa Bulletin. Employment-Based Priority Date Cutoffs for February…
February 2023 Visa Bulletin – Main Employment-Based Categories Hold Steady
Next month, EB-1 India and EB-1 China will maintain their Final Action cutoff date of February 1, 2022, and their Dates for Filing cutoff date of June 1, 2022. The EB-2 India Final Action date will remain at October 8,…
DHS to Extend and Redesignate Somalia for Temporary Protected Status
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced an 18-month extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia, through September 17, 2024. DHS is also redesignating Somalia for TPS, allowing Somali nationals residing in the United States as of January…
USCIS Expands Premium Processing Eligibility to All EB-1 Multinational Manager and EB-2 National Interest Waiver I-140 Filings, Including New Petitions
Beginning January 30, 2023, USCIS will accept Form I-907 Premium Processing requests for all new and pending EB-1 Multinational Executive and Manager Form I-140 petitions and EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) I-140 petitions. This is the final phase of premium…
DHS Increases Numerical Limit on Venezuela Parole Program and Expands Parole Process to Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua
The Biden Administration has authorized a combined total of up to 30,000 parole travel authorizations per month from the countries of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Starting today, citizens of Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua and their immediate family members can…
December 2022 DOL PERM and PWD Processing Times
As of December 31, 2022, the Department of Labor (DOL) was conducting analyst review for PERM applications filed in April 2022 or earlier, and processing audited cases with priority dates of January 2022 or earlier. DOL is working on standard…
Immigration Agencies Announce Their Fall 2022 Regulatory Plans
The Department of Labor has reconfirmed its plan to propose increases in prevailing wages for the H-1B and PERM programs, among others. The Department of Homeland Security continues to pursue proposed modernization of the H-1B program and changes to the…
CDC Issues Guidance on New COVID Test Requirement for Travel from China
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued detailed guidance on implementation of the new COVID test requirement for travel from China, set to take effect on January 5. Under the guidance, airline passengers two years of…
DHS Proposes Fee Rule with Significant Increases for Employment-Based Petitioners
Under the new fee proposal, USCIS would increase and create separate fees for H-1B, L-1 and other nonimmigrant case types. The proposed H-1B fee increase is $780, from $460, a 70% increase. The proposed L-1 petition fee is $1,385, from…
DHS Extends and Redesignates Yemen for Temporary Protected Status, Extends Relaxed Employment Options for Yemeni F-1 Students
The Department of Homeland Security has extended and redesignated Yemen for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), from March 4, 2023 through September 3, 2024. The initial registration period for new TPS applicants will run from January 3, 2023 through September 3,…
COVID Test Required for Travel from China, Starting January 5
Effective January 5, 2023, airline passengers traveling from mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau must provide either a negative COVID test or documentation of COVID recovery in order to travel to the United States. The new requirement will apply to…
State Department Extends Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waiver Program Through 2023
The U.S. State Department’s visa interview waiver program for certain temporary workers, students, and exchange visitors has been extended to December 31, 2023. The separate interview waiver program for certain applicants renewing a visa in the same category within 48…
Congress Passes FY 2023 Omnibus Spending Bill, Funding Immigration Operations
The spending bill funds the Departments of State, Homeland Security, Labor, and other federal agencies through FY 2023. The package reauthorizes E-Verify and other expiring immigration programs through September 30, 2023. The President is expected to sign the spending bill.…
January 2023 Visa Bulletin Update – USCIS to Honor Dates for Filing 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 January 2023 Visa Bulletin. Employment-Based Priority Date Cutoffs for January…
January 2023 Visa Bulletin – EB-1 India and China Retrogress, Other Employment-Based Categories Hold Steady
Next month, EB-1 India and EB-1 China will have a Final Action cutoff date of February 1, 2022, and a Date for Filing cutoff date of June 1, 2022. The EB-2 India Final Action date will remain at October 8,…
Congress Passes Stopgap Spending Measure, Funding Government Through December 23, While FY 2023 Budget Is Finalized
A stopgap spending measure passed by Congress will fund the U.S. government – including E-Verify and the Conrad 30 program – through December 23, 2022, as Congress considers federal budget legislation to fund the government for the full FY 2023.…