ITAR – Requirements for Government Contractors
The U.S. Department of State has announced that annual visa limits for fiscal year (FY) 2024 have been reached for the following employment-based categories: EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EW (other workers), EB-4, and EB-5 unreserved....more
On June 18, 2024, President Biden announced new pathways to legal immigration status for two groups: college-educated “Dreamers” and certain American family units....more
On April 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of State announced the United States and Japan have agreed to extend the maximum period of stay for Japanese exchange specialists to 36 months on a J-1 visa. Under the previous...more
The Department of State announced that the United States and Japan have established a new J-1 Exchange Program – the Japanese Specialist Program. The new program specifically facilitates the exchange of Japanese language and...more
The June 2024 Visa Bulletin shows no forward movement in employment-based preference categories, but retrogression could occur soon, according to the U.S. Department of State....more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications based on the Final Action Dates chart for the April 2024 Visa Bulletin....more
For the first time in two decades, a limited number of eligible H-1B workers are now able to apply to renew their visas without having to leave the United States. Starting January 29, 2024, the U.S. Department of State’s...more
The Department of State “DOS” has published guidance and FAQs advising eligible H-1B visa applicants on how they can participate in its pilot program for domestic H-1B visa renewals, which will begin on January 29, 2024. ...more
For H-1B visa holders, the logistics of traveling home for a wedding can be almost as challenging to plan as the wedding. A man who traveled to India for a wedding had to remain there for weeks to get a visa to return to...more
On January 18, 2024, the Department of State published an online tool that H-1B visa applicants can use to determine if they are eligible for the stateside visa renewal pilot program. Over time, it is likely that the...more
Commencing January 29, 2024, and expected to run through April 1, 2024, DOS will launch a pilot program for certain eligible foreign nationals from Canada and India to renew their H-1B Visas stateside without having to travel...more
The U.S. Department of State recently announced that effective January 1, 2024, consular officers have expanded discretionary authority to waive the in-person interview requirement for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants....more
Posted December 29th, 2023 in Top Stories with Tags Corporate Immigration On December 21, 2023, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced a pilot program to implement limited stateside visa renewal processing for certain...more
On December 21, 2023, the Department of State announced that it will be launching a pilot program to resume renewals of H-1B nonimmigrant visas in the United States for certain qualified foreign nationals. Prior to the...more
The U.S. Department of State has announced a pilot program for stateside renewal of certain visas. For the first time in nearly two decades, a limited number of H-1B nonimmigrants will be able to renew their visas from...more
On October 17, 2023, the Department of State sent for review a Federal Register notice entitled "Pilot Program to Resume Renewal of H-1B Nonimmigrant Visas in the United States for Certain Qualified Noncitizens" to the Office...more
The State Department announced they will begin processing visa stamp renewals in Washington, D.C. as early as January 2024. This pilot program will only be available for 20,000 individuals in the U.S. in H-1B status who are...more
On October 30, 2023, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order regarding the “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.” The Executive Order (EO) directs departments and agencies...more
On October 18, 2023, additional details regarding the U.S. Department of State’s highly anticipated stateside visa renewal pilot program were released by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). The State...more
If Congress does not pass appropriations legislation or a stopgap spending bill by September 30, 2023, the federal government will experience a shutdown on October 1, 2023. A federal government shutdown will disrupt certain...more
The federal government is days away from a partial shutdown. If Congress does not pass multiple appropriations bills or agree to a continuing resolution by Saturday, multiple federal agencies involved in the immigration...more
All receipts for payment of Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fees issued prior to October 1, 2022, are set to expire on September 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of State recently announced....more
Annually, at the outset of the federal fiscal year, the U.S. Congress must reach an agreement to fund the federal government. If Congress cannot agree and pass the necessary appropriations bill, a partial government shutdown...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) site visits are challenging for employers and beneficiaries who work in the U.S. in L-1 Intracompany Transferee status. At these visits, U.S. government officials flash badges...more
The May 2023 Visa Bulletin recently published by the U.S. Department of State, brought some unwelcome news for U.S. employers seeking to sponsor foreign nationals for permanent residency through the employment-based green...more