News

The Department of State posted the visa bulletin for March today. See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2019/visa-bulletin-for-march-2019.html for the visa bulletin for March 2019. USCIS advised that it will accept adjustment of status petitions for employment-based adjustment of status petitions for February based upon…

USCIS will resume premium processing on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, for all H-1B petitions filed on or before December 21, 2018. See https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-resumes-premium-processing-h-1b-petitions-filed-or-dec-21-2018 for more information.

USCIS announced that it is publishing guidance for its officers to consider when adjudicating spousal petitions involving minors. See https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-strengthens-guidance-spousal-petitions-involving-minors and https://www.aila.org/infonet/uscis-issues-policy-alert-on-afm-update-related for more information.

USCIS has revised Form I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status) and will publish the revised form on our website on March 11, 2019. Starting on March 11, 2019, USCIS will only accept the revised Form I-539 with an edition date…

USCIS will begin accepting copies of negative consultation letters directly from labor unions relating to current or future P nonimmigrant visa petitions. See https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-now-accepting-copies-negative-p-visa-consultations-directly-labor-unions for more information.

USCIS has posted for public inspection, a final rule amending regulations governing H-1B cap-subject petitions reversing the order by which USCIS selects H-1B petitions in the lottery. See https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/dhs-announces-final-rule-a-more-effective-and-efficient-h-1b-visa-program for more information.

USCIS has announced that it will resume premium processing on Monday, January 28, 2019 for all pending fiscal year 2019 H-1B cap petitions. See https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-resumes-premium-processing-fiscal-year-2019-h-1b-cap-petitions for more information.

President Trump announced that he reached a deal with congressional leadership to sign a short-term funding bill to reopen the government that does not include funds to construct a border wall. EOIR announced that assuming that Congress passes the proposed…

The U.S. Embassy in Caracas has suspended routine visa services due to the ordered departure of non-emergency personnel. See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/20190125_routine-visa-services-suspended-in-caracas.html for more information.

USCIS advised that it will accept adjustment of status petitions for employment-based adjustment of status petitions for February based upon the final action date. USCIS will continue to accept family-based adjustment of status petitions based on their filing date. See…

In the February 2019 Visa Bulletin, Charlie provides his predictions for monthly forward movement for various categories. These predictions are based on current demand trends and are reliable through May 2019. See https://www.aila.org/infonet/visa-bulletin-for-february-2019 for more information.

On January 11, 2019, USCIS sent a final version of the proposed regulations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Once the OMB has reviewed the final version of the proposed regulations, a final rule must be…

The Department of State posted the visa bulletin for February today. USCIS has not yet advised whether it will accept adjustment of status petitions for family- or employment-based petitions based on the filing dates, rather than the final action dates.…

While many consulates across the globe accept payment by credit cards for visa application fees, Mission Mexico will continue to require fees be paid in cash at a bank in Mexico due to a high rate of credit card charge-backs.…

USCIS announced that, effective immediately, the categorical Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands parole programs are terminated. After any parole authorized through these programs expires, USCIS will not renew that parole. See https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/termination-categorical-parole-programs-certain-individuals-present-commonwealth-northern-mariana-islands-cnmi for more information.

USCIS - The current federal government shutdown will not affect USCIS’ fee-funded activities. Only limited programs will be affected by the shutdown, including E-Verify, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program, Conrad 30 Waiver Program, and Non-Minister Religious Workers. See https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/lapse-federal-funding-does-not-impact-most-uscis-operations…

USCIS offices will be closed on Monday, December 24th. President Trump declared that all federal departments and agencies are closed and all employees are excused from work that day. See https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-offices-closed-monday-white-house-executive-order for more information.

DHS announced that effective immediately, the United States will invoke INA section 235(b)(2)(C), and under the Migration Protection Protocols, undocumented individuals arriving in or entering the United States from Mexico may be returned to Mexico for the duration of their…

USCIS recently updated its website with information regarding the agency's practice of denying pending Form I-131 advance parole applications for abandonment due to international travel. Specifically, USCIS indicates on its website that if an applicant files Form I-131, Application for…

On December 17, 2018, in Save Jobs USA v. DHS, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a motion to intervene that Immigration Voice, a non-profit organization, filed with the court in March 2017. The court also ordered the case to be…

USCIS advised that it will accept adjustment of status petitions for family and employment-based petitions based on their filing dates, and not on the final action dates. See https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-priority-dates/when-file-your-adjustment-status-application-family-sponsored-or-employment-based-preference-visas-january-2019 for the updated information and the applicable January 2019 visa bulletin…

The Department of State posted the visa bulletin for January today. USCIS has not yet advised whether it will accept adjustment of status petitions for family- or employment-based petitions based on the filing dates, rather than the final action dates.…

USCIS has reached its congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the first half of the fiscal year 2019. See https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-reaches-h-2b-cap-first-half-fy-2019 for more information.

USCIS issued a policy memo that provides guidance to USCIS officers on waiving the interview requirement for Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. See https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-revises-interview-waiver-guidance-form-i-751 for more information.