On November 16, 2018, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director L. Francis Cissna suggested that USCIS will discontinue its policy of denying certain pending I-131, Application for Travel Document...more
U.S. employers that hire and place foreign workers with H-1B visas at third-party worksites may be faced with additional burdens in the H-1B petition process. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released proposed changes...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that nationals of Honduras who wish to extend their temporary protected status (TPS) through the January 5, 2020, termination date must reregister during the...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that nationals of Nepal who wish to extend their temporary protected status (TPS) through the June 24, 2019, termination date must reregister during the...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched a modernized version of E-Verify on April 23, 2018. The changes are a result of feedback from E-Verify users and are intended to enhance the employment eligibility...more
The extension of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for international students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) allows eligible students to apply to extend their...more
According to a recent announcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be implementing a new pilot program, beginning April 30, 2018, purportedly “ to facilitate the adjudication and admission process of...more
According to a recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announcement, “USCIS has reached the congressionally-mandated 65,000 H-1B visa cap for fiscal year 2019.” The fiscal year (FY) 2019) H-1B cap filing...more
Since President Trump first issued his executive order suspending travel to the United States by certain foreign nationals, a flood of generalized reports regarding changes to U.S. port-of-entry inspection operations emerged....more
On December 27, 2016, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) —the appellate body for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—announced a new standard for National Interest Waiver visa petitions in a precedent...more
On October 24, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final rule increasing filing fees associated with a significant number of immigration applications. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)...more
Over the summer, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published an updated edition of Form I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition. The new edition is dated “6/2/16.” Blanket L visa...more
The H-1B “cap season” has become an annual event for U.S. employers seeking work authorization for highly skilled foreign professionals. Working months in advance, employers and their attorneys prepare and submit H-1B...more