Since March 4, 2013, USCIS has been accepting applications for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers (“Form I-601A”). Many of these applications have been rejected, however, because customers did not provide proof that the...more
In This Issue: Comprehensive Immigration Reform Debate Begins! USCIS Reports That H-1B Cap Is Reached in First Week; New Form I-9 Becomes Effective on May 7, 2013; CBP Announces Form I-94 Automation; DOS Permits Access to...more
EB-2 category for all chargeable areas other than China and India remains current, with some considerable forward movement but continued backlog in the EB-3 category....more
According to published reports, the Department of State (“DOS”) has warned that sequestration-related spending cuts could result in “major setbacks” for visa processing and travel screening delays at ports of entry. ...more
EB-2 category for all chargeable areas other than China and India remains current, with minor forward movement in the EB-3 category. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released its April 2013 Visa Bulletin. The...more
On March 1, 2013, the Budget Control Act, including sections mandating across-the-board budget cuts to federal agencies (known as “sequestration”), went into effect. The sequester is likely to negatively impact immigration...more
The automatic spending cutback is expected to result in diminished immigration-related services. It is anticipated that the sequester (the automatic spending cutback that went into effect on March 1, 2013) may result...more
Although the exact impact cannot be predicted, it appears all but certain that sequestration will result in diminished consular services, including visa adjudications. ...more
According to the Department of State, sequestration will likely reduce the number of officers processing visa applications, which will negatively impact wait times at U.S. consulates....more
EB-2 category for all chargeable areas other than China and India remains current, with minor forward movement in the EB-3 category. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released its March 2013 Visa Bulletin. The Visa...more
A new version of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is scheduled to release this spring. The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), a faction of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),...more
Effective February 1, 2013, individuals applying for immigrant visas through a U.S. Consulate abroad will be required to pay an immigrant visa fee of $165. This fee is in addition to the Department of State’s application...more
The Business Facilitation Program (BFP) is designed to facilitate business travel for employees of participating companies. Qualifying firms will have access to expedited visa processing for employees traveling to the U.S. on...more
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, beginning February 1, 2013, the agency will collect a $165 Immigrant Visa Department of Homeland Security Domestic Processing Fee (USCIS Immigrant Fee)...more
U.S. companies that offer appropriate internships or traineeships to junior-level foreign employees who come to the U.S. to gain on-the-job training often utilize J-1 exchange visitor visa programs for interns and trainees....more
EB-2 category for all chargeable areas other than China and India remains current; minor forward movement in the EB-3 category. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released its February 2013 Visa Bulletin. The Visa...more
DOS has introduced the online “Visa Status Check,” which allows both immigrant and nonimmigrant applicants to check the status of their cases at the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC)....more
On January 2, 2013, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the posting of a final rule in the Federal Register that allows certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who are physically...more
EB-2 category for all chargeable areas other than China and India remains current; minor forward movement in the EB-3 category. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released its January 2013 Visa Bulletin. The Visa...more
EB-2 category for all chargeable areas remains current. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released its December 2012 Visa Bulletin. The Visa Bulletin sets out per country priority date cutoffs that regulate the...more
The application period for the Department of State’s (DOS) Diversity Visa (DV) (“green card”) lottery for Fiscal Year 2014 began on October 2, 2012. Interested persons have until 12:00 noon Eastern Daylight Time on November...more
EB-2 category for China and India is no longer unavailable; cutoff dates remain for Rest of the World EB-2 category. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released its October 2012 Visa Bulletin. The Visa Bulletin...more
1. VISA BULLETIN UPDATE: EB2 INDIA AND CHINA MAY MOVE TO 2006 CUT-OFF 2. VISA APPOINTMENT SYSTEM CHANGES AT U.S. CONSULATES IN INDIA 1. VISA BULLETIN UPDATE: EB2 INDIA AND CHINA MAY MOVE TO 2006 CUT-OFF Last...more
If you are applying for permanent residence in the United States, how do you figure out how long it will take? This seems like an easy question, but like many things with immigration, it can be complicated. ...more
H-1B Fiscal Year 2013 Cap Is Reached On June 12, 2012, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that on June 11, 2012, it had received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the statutory cap for...more
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