On April 11, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new registration requirement goes into effect. The new registration requires, with limited exceptions, that all aliens 14 years of age or older who were not...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has completed the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) H-1B lottery for both regular H-1B cap beneficiaries, as well as advanced degree (master’s) cap beneficiaries. Those registrants who...more
On February 5, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the initial registration period for the FY2026 H-1B Cap Lottery will open at noon Eastern Time (EST) on March 7, 2025, and run through noon...more
2/11/2025
/ Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Lottery ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
On January 22, 2025, USCIS posted an alert pertaining to the I-693 immigration medical exam required for most individuals applying to become lawful permanent residents. USCIS indicates that they now “waive[s] any and all...more
1/24/2025
/ Adjustment of Status ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Policy Updates ,
Popular ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
USCIS ,
Vaccinations ,
Visas
On January 2, 2025, the most recent Form I-9 Fine Matrix outlining the costs for Form I-9 compliance violations was published in the Federal Register. After a government audit of an employer’s Forms I-9, Employment...more
1/15/2025
/ Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Compliance ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
E-Verify ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Fines ,
Form I-9 ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration and Nationality Act ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Inspections ,
Penalties ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Regulatory Requirements
On Monday, September 9, 2024, the U.S. Department of State (DOS), working in close collaboration with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced publicly that all available immigrant visas in the...more
On January 30, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the initial registration period for the FY2025 H-1B Cap Lottery will open at noon Eastern Time (EST) on March 6, 2024, and run through noon...more
The State Department (DOS) recently announced a new pilot program for H-1B visa holders, allowing them to renew their H-1B visa stamps while remaining in the United States. Currently, H-1B visa holders must apply at a U.S....more
On Friday, October 20, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued policy guidance clarifying the two following points with respect to the L-1 petition for intracompany transferees:
A sole proprietorship...more
On Monday, August 21, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has launched a new online form for individuals, attorneys, and accredited representatives to request an in-person appointment at...more
On Wednesday, July 12, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is expanding myProgress (formerly known as personalized processing times) to Form I-765, Application for Employment...more
On June 28, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched a new self-service tool allowing benefit requestors and their attorneys and accredited representatives to reschedule most biometric appointments...more
On March 27, 2023, USCIS received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the FY 2024 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption, also known as the...more
On Wednesday, March 29, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will be updating the USCIS Policy Manual to address situations when the last day to file a benefit request or respond to a...more
On Monday, March 27, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the agency received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2024 H-1B...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that certain flexibilities it first announced in March 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic will end on March 23, 2023.
Applicants must respond to any notices or...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced a new process for lawful permanent residents to receive temporary evidence of their lawful permanent resident status by mail rather than physically visiting...more
On January 23, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will be extending the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (i.e., Green Cards) for petitioners who properly file Form I-751, Petition to...more
On Thursday, January 12, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it is implementing the final phase of its planned premium processing expansion for Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers,...more
On December 19, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released information regarding nonimmigrant workers whose employment is terminated, either voluntarily or involuntarily. USCIS indicated that...more
12/28/2022
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Expedited Actions Process ,
Foreign Workers ,
Grace Period ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Portability ,
Stays ,
Termination ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Since March 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has granted petitioners and beneficiaries certain flexibilities with respect to various petitions filed with USCIS. Since that time, those flexibilities have...more
Effective September 26, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began automatically extending the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (i.e. Green Cards) to 24 months for lawful permanent residents who file...more
On September 15, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will be implementing the next phase of the premium processing expansion for certain petitioners who have a pending Form I-140...more
On September 6, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) filed a Court Declaration indicating that the agency has used nearly all available employment-based (EB) immigrant visas for this fiscal year (ending...more
On August 23, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B...more