News & Analysis as of September 24, 2024

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services › Applications

+ Follow

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is a federal agency under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that oversees lawful immigration to the United States. The USCIS performs a broad variety of administrative functions, including processing visa and naturalization petitions, as well as applications for asylum and refugee status. less -

New Biden-Harris Administration Parole in Place Spousal Protection Program: USCIS Will Begin Accepting Applications Starting...

Gibney Anthony & Flaherty, LLP on 7/24/2024

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously announced a new spousal protection policy in keeping with the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to keep families together....more

Removing the Mystery From Immigration Filing Fees: Employment Authorization and Travel Document/Advance Parole Applications

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP on 7/18/2024

The recent changes by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) in filing fees for certain forms, effective April 1, 2024, have continued to cause confusion for employers and individuals trying to determine the...more

USCIS To Increase Filing Fees Effective April 1, 2024

Harris Beach PLLC on 2/19/2024

The Department of Homeland Security recently published a Final Rule in the Federal Register establishing a filing fee increase that will go into effect on April 1, 2024. The new fee schedule significantly increases several...more

Dept. of Labor Migrates PERM Labor Certification Application to FLAG Web Portal

Harris Beach PLLC on 5/23/2023

Employers seeking to hire a non-US worker on a permanent basis are generally required to undertake a lengthy, complex sponsorship process involving both the Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the United States Citizenship and...more

USCIS Agrees to Bundle Adjudications of H-4 & L-2 Spousal Extensions and EAD Applications with H-1B & L-1 Principals

Mintz - Immigration Viewpoints on 1/27/2023

On January 20, 2023, as part of a settlement agreement with the plaintiffs in Edakunni v. Mayorkas, USCIS agreed to adjudicate Forms I-539 and I-765 for extensions of H-4 and L-2 spouses and employment authorization documents...more

H-1B Cap Alternatives: Visa Options for the Healthcare Industry and Biotechnology Companies

Gibney Anthony & Flaherty, LLP on 12/1/2022

The H-1B visa is among the most popular working visas in the U.S. for individuals filling professional (degree-requiring) positions. Most H-1B visas are subject to an annual quota or “cap.” These are often referred to as...more

USCIS to Expand Premium Processing Offerings

Gibney Anthony & Flaherty, LLP on 4/6/2022

The Department of Homeland Security has published a final rule to expand premium processing service to expand premium processing service for certain immigration benefit requests. The rule takes effect May 31, 2022....more

New COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Green Card Applicants

Gibney Anthony & Flaherty, LLP on 8/26/2021

Effective October 1, 2021, by order of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), USCIS and the U.S. Department of State will require individuals applying for permanent resident status to be vaccinated for COVID-19, with limited...more

USCIS Introduces Revised Naturalization Civics Test

Gibney Anthony & Flaherty, LLP on 12/3/2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is introducing a revised version of the naturalization civics test. The oral civics test is administered to all applicants for U.S. citizenship. The 2020 test increases the...more

Trump Administration Advances Rules Restricting Visas for High-Skilled Foreign Workers

Gibney Anthony & Flaherty, LLP on 10/7/2020

The Trump Administration has announced that it will publish two Interim Final Rules on Thursday, October 8, 2020 that will substantially alter the H-1B visa program for temporary professionals working in a specialty...more

Appropriations Act Allows USCIS to Expand Premium Processing Service

Gibney Anthony & Flaherty, LLP on 10/6/2020

On September 30, 2020 the President signed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act, to fund the U.S. government through December 11, 2020. The Act also addresses USCIS revenue shortfalls and the need...more

USCIS Fees Set to Change on October 2, 2020

Dickinson Wright on 9/14/2020

On August 3, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final rule that makes sweeping changes to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fee schedule. It also removes certain fee exceptions,...more

USCIS Poised to Furlough 65 Percent of Employees

Harris Beach PLLC on 7/1/2020

The Deputy Director for Policy at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) issued a statement on June 25, 2020 indicating that if USCIS does not receive additional funding from Congress by Aug. 3, it will need to...more

US to Begin Accepting Applications Under the International Entrepreneur Rule

Morgan Lewis on 12/19/2017

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services will accept applications to comply with a recent court order, but will work concurrently to publish rules to rescind the program entirely. ...more

Practice Alert: Trump Creates New Hurdles and Delays for Employment Based Green Card Applicants

Fisher Phillips on 8/30/2017

Beginning on October 1, 2017, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will start phasing in the requirement for an in-person interview for anyone obtaining employment-based permanent residency. For almost...more

USCIS Announces I-485 Supplement J to Confirm Bona Fide Job Offers

Morgan Lewis on 1/20/2017

Supplement J (Confirmation of Bona Fide Job Offer or Request for Job Portability) is intended to enable USCIS to confirm that jobs offered to adjustment of status applicants in underlying I-140 petitions are bona fide job...more

DHS to Increase Filing Fees Effective 12/23/2016

Mintz on 10/25/2016

Effective December 23, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will be adjusting the fee schedule for immigration and naturalization benefit requests processed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). DHS...more

Visa Bulletin 2.0 and its Implications for Early Filing for Adjustment of Status

Baker Donelson on 9/28/2015

On September 9, 2015, the U.S. Government pleasantly surprised the immigration world by publishing a new type of monthly Visa Bulletin for October 2015 with USCIS announcement about a new approach to the timing of the ability...more

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Announces New Procedures Which Will Allow a Significant Number of Individuals to File...

Laner Muchin, Ltd. on 9/19/2015

On September 9, 2015, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in coordination with the U.S. Department of State (DOS), announced that it is revising its procedures for applicants waiting to file their third and...more

Department of State Releases October 2015 Visa Bulletin

Morgan Lewis on 9/10/2015

A new category of “filing” cutoff dates has been introduced to allow for earlier filing of adjustment of status applications and immigrant visa applications. The US Department of State (DOS) has released its October 2015...more

At the edge of a new frontier: USCIS begins transition to Electronic Immigration System

Mintz - Immigration Viewpoints on 8/26/2015

In July 2015, the White House announced a series of technology initiatives aimed at modernizing the application process for certain immigration benefits. As part of this effort, the United States Citizenship and Immigration...more

21 Results

View per page

Page: of 1

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services › Applications

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"