Prior to the government shutdown, it seemed that the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act might pass as an amendment to the spending package with strong bipartisan support. But that was not to be. Now members of the U.S....more
USCIS announced that, effective immediately, it is terminating yet another humanitarian parole program. This one is for individuals living in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). ...more
A potentially significant bill eliminating the per-country caps on employment-based visas may become law.
H.R. 392, Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act, first introduced in 2017, had 300 co-sponsors. It is now...more
The Department of Homeland Security’s latest Regulatory Agenda promises some big changes, especially for the H-1B visa program.
Many of these changes have been proposed before, but have not yet made it to the rulemaking...more
USCIS has announced that the 2020 Diversity Lottery will open for registration at noon EST on October 3, 2018 and run until noon EST on November 6, 2018. Fifty thousand green cards will be available....more
On October 1, 2018 the premium processing fee for all Forms I-129 (Non-Immigrant Worker) and Forms I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) will be raised from $1,225 to $1,410. USCIS announced this almost 15% increase on...more
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) may be an endangered species. Having terminated TPS for Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone during the past year, the Trump Administration has turned its attention elsewhere. There are...more
It has been reported that the Trump administration is working toward limiting the number of TN visas. Based on the precepts of the Buy American, Hire American executive order, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has...more
USCIS has posted a policy memorandum that will radically change current policy for students and exchange visitors. The policy makes it much more likely that those in F, M or J status will find themselves accruing unlawful...more
In a not unexpected move, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen M. Nielsen, announced on May 4, 2018 that Temporary Protected Status would terminate for Honduras on January 5, 2020. This will give the approximately...more
Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians will terminate on March 31, 2019.
USCIS has now published filing instructions in the Federal Register for those Liberians affected who wish to extend their employment...more
Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians, a humanitarian relief program similar to TPS (Temporary Protected Status), will terminate on March 31, 2019 according to a formal memo released by President Donald Trump....more
USCIS has once again announced the temporary suspension of the Premium Processing service for all cap-subject H-1B cases, including “Master’s Cap” cases.
The suspension is expected to last until September 10, 2018, but...more
As we recently noted, the Washington Post reported that USCIS was creating an employee oversight division to monitor staff who might be perceived as too lenient in their adjudications of requested immigration benefits....more
The Washington Post has reported that USCIS is establishing an internal oversight division. The new division’s purpose, in part, would be to monitor more closely officers who are too lenient in assessing applications for...more
Following up on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Order of February 21, 2018, DHS has requested still more time to review the H-4 EAD Rule. In a status report filed on February 28, 2018, just a week after the...more
The Trump Administration’s Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions for the DHS contains close to 60 items.
Published in the spring and fall, the Unified Agenda gives information about regulations that...more
A bi-partisan House panel has approved the “Protect and Grow American Jobs Act,” a bill that would change eligibility requirements for exemption from the standard Labor Condition Application (LCA) requirement for...more
All I-129 petitions, whether initial requests or requests for extension of visa status, will be subject to the same level of scrutiny, USCIS has confirmed. The agency will no longer defer to the findings of a previously...more
On the eve of its taking effect, President Donald Trump’s third attempt at a travel ban has been blocked by the District Court in Hawaii.
On October 17, 2017, Judge Derrick Watson granted a nationwide temporary restraining...more
We previously reported on the Department of State’s acceptance of applications for the diversity immigrant lottery. Since then, the DOS has announced on the Diversity Lottery website:-...more
The Trump Administration is considering the elimination of the J-1 Summer Work-Travel Program for students who come to tourist areas in the U.S. as temporary summer help and as participants in cultural exchanges. Like the...more
When President Donald Trump issued his “Travel Ban,” there were fears that the physician shortage in the U.S. would be exacerbated. It has been reported that there is currently a deficit of 8,200 primary care physicians that...more