On January 27, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the dates for this year’s H-1B pre-registration filing period.
The H-1B Cap Season: March 2023-
The H-1B nonimmigrant visa is one of the...more
Over the past week, USCIS has issued several updates including the expansion of premium processing services and bundling of H-1B and L-1 Visa spouses requests.
USCIS Announces the Expansion of Premium Processing Services...more
Happy New Year! As we begin 2023, we would like to share the following recent U.S. immigration-related updates:
Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waivers Extended Until December 31, 2023 On December 23, 2022, the U.S....more
Although the economic expectations for 2023 seem uncertain, demand for H-1B visas for skilled workers in the next year will likely remain high. As a result, we urge employers to start assessing their current and prospective...more
The Real ID Act requires U.S. states to issue driver’s licenses and non-driver identification cards that meet enhanced security standards for purposes of travel and admission to federal facilities....more
Recent massive layoffs and hiring freezes announced by major technology companies, coupled with fears of an imminent recession in the U.S. have significantly impacted workers and raised concerns among many currently employed...more
On September 8, 2022, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced its long waited public charge rule. As outlined in our previous alert, in March 2021, USCIS rescinded its public charge rule, which...more
On August 24, 2022, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published its long-awaited Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Final Rule, which allows USCIS to grant DACA renewal requests after...more
On August 23, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has selected sufficient H-1B Visa Petitions to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 regular cap and 20,000 U.S. advanced degree...more
Consistent with its goal of removing barriers to legal immigration, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued guidance and launched initiatives related to individuals in the science, technology,...more
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) instituted temporary accommodations governing the renewal of documents for Form I-9 purposes relating to employment authorization in all work...more
On July 11, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the extension of its current Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Venezuelans residing in the U.S. as of March 8, 2021. The 18-month...more
At the beginning of each fiscal year, U.S. government agencies announce their regulatory agendas, which guide the agencies’ future actions. Here are the most relevant short and long-term regulatory changes that have been...more
7/8/2022
/ Adjustment of Status ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Filing Fees ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
L-1 Visas ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS
On May 4, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective immediately, it would increase the automatic extension period for employment authorization documents (EADs) for certain EAD renewal...more
Secretary Of Homeland Security Mayorkas Has Designated Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status for 18 Months, Commencing April 19, 2022 and Concluding on October 19, 2023....more
On March 18, 2022, U.S. Citizenship Services (USCIS) published further detail relating to employment authorization documentation for E and L spouses. By way of background, in November 2021, USCIS reached a settlement...more
On March 16, 2022, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas designated Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months. Temporary Protected Status is only granted to individuals already residing...more
Effective March 1, 2022, the United States government extended Temporary Protected Status to Ukrainians present in the United States and the relaxation of entry requirements for Ukrainian nationals.
On March 3, 2022,...more
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) has begun the process of implementing a federal court order following a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security relating to the immediate ability of L and E spouses...more
On January 28, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the registration dates for FY 2023 H-1B cap filings with the agency. Filing submission dates are March 1, 2022, at 12 p.m. ET and the registration...more
Effective January 21, 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security updated and expanded the list of STEM fields of study falling within the regulatory definition of “STEM field.” The list, known as the “DHS Stem Designated...more
1/25/2022
/ Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
F-1 Visa ,
Federal Register ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Students ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Joe Biden ,
SEVP ,
STEM ,
USCIS
Background-
The H-1B nonimmigrant visa is one of the most highly utilized and sought-after temporary work visas and facilitates the employment of foreign nationals entering the United States to perform employment in...more
On November 19, U.S. Citizenship Services (USCIS) announced it had completed a third H-1B lottery selection for the fiscal year 2022 cap. This is the third H-1B lottery selection this year. USCIS allows for 85,000 H1-B...more
11/23/2021
/ Filing Deadlines ,
Filing Fees ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Lottery ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
On November 12, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its Policy Memo to automatically allow for employment authorization for dependent E, L and certain H-4 spouses of principal visa holders, and it...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is expected to release new guidelines for employment authorization which will affect H-4 and L-2 spouses resulting from a settlement agreement reached in a federal court...more