On Wednesday, June 9, 2021, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced new, official policy updates to be included in their Policy Manual. The USCIS Policy Manual is an internal guidance manual for...more
On Friday, February 5, 2021, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the online registration period for H-1B quota selection for Fiscal Year 2022 will begin on March 9 at 12:00 pm (noon) eastern...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made the decision to delay implementation of the rule introducing wage-weighted priority into the H-1B lottery selection system. USCIS announced that it will delay the...more
2/10/2021
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Final Rules ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Registration Requirement ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
USCIS ,
Visas
As of June 1, 2020, USCIS has resumed premium processing in phases by case-type. Premium processing had been temporarily suspended since March 20, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Premium processing is resuming in phases...more
On Friday, January 24, 2020, the US Department of State published a final rule that amends part of the regulations governing the issuance of “B” visitor visas. This regulatory amendment now establishes a rebuttable...more
As part of the continuing trade and intellectual property war with China, the U.S. Department of State has implemented a new policy to limit visa validity periods and impose additional security clearances before visa issuance...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced today that it has received enough H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap of 65,000 petitions for fiscal year (FY) 2019. USCIS also received more than the limit...more
As of 4 pm on Friday, January 19, 2018, the US Senate had not reached an agreement on the terms of a continuing resolution to keep the US government running. The US House passed a 30-day resolution on Thursday, but this must...more
On Thursday, September 7, 2017, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals let stand the Hawaii District Court temporary injunction against the Trump administration’s revised travel ban. This ruling confirms that U.S. family...more
The Trump Administration is evaluating potential reductions to U.S. cultural exchange programs that allow young people from across the world the opportunity to work temporarily in the US. The potential cuts would impact five...more
8/29/2017
/ Buy American Act ,
Cultural Exchange Programs ,
Domestic Hiring Policy ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Immigration Reform ,
J-1 Visas ,
Seasonal Workers ,
Trump Administration ,
Visas
In a continuation of the diplomatic tit-for-tat with Russia, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow announced on Monday, August 21, 2017, that it would suspend issuance of nonimmigrant visas for eight days starting August 23rd....more
Effective immediately, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will resume premium processing for select cap-exempt H-1B petitions. Cap-exempt petitioners who are eligible for premium processing can file...more
On March 17, 2017, the Department of State (“DOS”), through the Secretary of State, issued a cable to all US consulates and embassies with guidance on enhanced screening and vetting of applications for US visas and other...more
3/28/2017
/ Attorney General ,
Consulate ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Heightened Scrutiny ,
Immigration and Nationality Act ,
Immigration Reform ,
International Travel ,
National Security ,
Screening Procedures ,
Secretary of State ,
Security Advisory Opinion (SAOs) ,
Travel Ban ,
Travel Delays ,
Trump Administration ,
US Department of State ,
Visa Applications ,
Visas
From time to time, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducts site visits at the offices of employers petitioning for temporary work visas on behalf of their employees. These visits are funded by the $500 “anti-fraud”...more
This advisory summarizes key travel and employment issues if you are an F-1 student with Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment eligibility valid to April 1, 2017 or later, and an H-1B filing on your behalf has been...more
The UK Home Office has announced plans to offer an optional premium service for requests made through the Sponsor Management System (SMS). This service will allow Sponsors to pay a fee of £200 for expedited processing of...more
On October 1, 2016, the US Department of State will begin accepting requests to register for the 2018 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2018), also known as the Green Card Lottery. The Diversity Lottery Program provides a...more
The diversity visa green card lottery has been an important part of U.S. immigration law for the last 20 years. It allows 55,000 foreign nationals to immigrate each year and was implemented to fulfill the worthy goal of...more
On October 1, 2015, the US Department of State will begin accepting requests to register for the 2017 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2017), also known as the Green Card Lottery. The Diversity Lottery Program provides a...more
It’s September 25th, not April 1st! Like a cruel April Fool’s joke, the October Visa Bulletin has just been revised and the new India & China EB-2 filing dates have retrogressed. The instructions in bold type in the new...more
Mr. Chairman, I’m pleased to provide my testimony today as a follow-up to previous appearances before this committee. I’ve testified on two other occasions to explain the need for a more certain and predictable way to attract...more
On Wednesday, August 12, 2015, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the US Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) did not follow required procedures when it promulgated regulations allowing for...more
On Wednesday, August 12, 2015, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the US Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) did not follow required procedures when it promulgated regulations allowing for...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released final guidance on a recent Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decision requiring amended or new H-1B petitions for workers who change job sites. These requirements...more
On Tuesday July 21, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released final guidance on a recent Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decision requiring amended or new H-1B petitions for workers who change job...more