The H-1B Lottery for FY 2026 opens at 12:00 pm EST on March 7, 2025. The registration period will run for eighteen (18) calendar days beginning March 7 and closing at 12:00 pm EST on March 24, 2025. The fee for submitting an...more
On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the online registration period for H-1B quota selection for the upcoming fiscal year will begin on Friday, March 7 at 12:00 pm...more
The Department of Homeland Security has announced a comprehensive update to the H-1B visa program, set to take effect on January 17, 2025. This modernization introduces new flexibilities, strengthens oversight, and provides...more
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued a final rule aimed at modernizing the H-1B nonimmigrant worker visa program, with significant and favorable changes set to take effect on January 17, 2025. These...more
A settlement agreement in the case of Edakunni v. Mayorkas was reached in January 2023. As part of the settlement agreement, USCIS agreed to: “bundle” the adjudication of Forms I-539 and I-765 for H-4 and L-2 derivatives with...more
One of the simplest but most important steps that employers should take to minimize the workforce disruptions associated with the upcoming change in presidential administrations is to avoid international travel by certain...more
USCIS announced on August 6, 2024 that it completed the second H-1B cap lottery for fiscal year (FY) 2025 H-1B cap. All employers with selected registrations have been notified. Employers with selected registrations from the...more
The Final Rule published by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adjusting certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees went into effect on April 1, 2024. This Final Rule included the...more
USCIS published a final rule (the Final Rule) on January 31, 2024, increasing certain filing fees that went into effect on April 1, 2024....more
The Department of Homeland Security published a final rule Jan. 31 adjusting the filing fees for applications for immigration benefits submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For most application types...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Effective April 1, USCIS will implement significant filing fee increases, in particular for petition and applications related to employment-based benefits....more
Starting April 1, 2024, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will implement a meaningful fee increase, the first increase since 2016. Numerous case types and specific forms will receive significant fee...more
Last January I posted about "An Unwelcome Update to Start 2023: USCIS Proposing Rule to Raise Filing Fees; Set Specific Filing Fees for Different Types of I-129 Filings". That unwelcome proposal to start 2023 may become an...more
In a settlement, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has agreed to return to processing dependent H-4 and L-2 applications at the same time as the H-1B or L-1 petition when filed concurrently. This...more
Federal immigration officials just agreed to streamline the process by which certain nonimmigrant dependent spouses are able to secure employment, reverting to a previous method that should reduce processing times and...more
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is poised to implement new filing fees on October 2, under regulations published in the Federal Register on August 3. However, two lawsuits were filed in federal court about a...more
Beginning October 2, 2020, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) will be increasing its filing fees for many of the most commonly filed benefit requests. Applications or petitions postmarked on or after that date...more
On August 3, 2020, USCIS published a final rule that significantly increases the filing fees for certain immigration and naturalization petitions. The rule, which will be effective October 2, 2020, also removes certain fee...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will resume premium processing for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, in phases over the...more
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
Yesterday the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services began phasing back in premium processing for eligible Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers. Premium...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it will resume premium processing for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, in phases...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has resulted in unprecedented travel restrictions, U.S. consular appointment cancellations, and changes to USCIS operations. To help navigate these...more
USCIS Will Accept Only New Employment-Based and Adjustment of Status Application Forms as of October 15, 2019 - On October 8, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that will no longer accept...more
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will increase the premium processing fee charged by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from $1,225 to $1,410, effective October 1, 2018. As employers are aware, USCIS is...more