Immigration Insights Podcast: International Entrepreneur Parole Program & Biometrics Requirement
The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) is a law designed to help certain young people (children of immigrants) keep their eligibility for U.S. immigration benefits, even if they turn 21 years old during the application...more
Starting on September 10, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has automatically extended the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (Green Cards) to 36 months for lawful permanent residents who submit Form...more
The Department of State released the October 2024 Visa Bulletin and USCIS will accept employment-based Adjustment of Status applications based on the more advanced Dates for Filing chart for the beginning of this fiscal...more
The Department of State released the July 2024 Visa Bulletin. USCIS will continue to accept employment-based Adjustment of Status applications based on the Final Action Dates chart. Most Employment-Based Categories will...more
The Department of State released the June 2024 Visa Bulletin. USCIS will continue to accept employment-based Adjustment of Status applications based on the Final Action Dates chart. All Employment-Based Categories will hold...more
Please note: while we address certain country-specific updates, this Alert contains information regarding global requirements, policies, and procedures as they stand as of the date of publication. We highly recommend...more
As we delve into the February 2024 Visa Bulletin, it’s evident that the priority dates for employer-based immigrant petitions continue to face minimal advancement, contributing to prolonged wait times for immigrant visas...more
Canada – Student Program: Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced significant alterations to the international student program on January 22, 2024. These include a new cap on study permit approvals for...more
The Department of State released the February 2024 Visa Bulletin. All Employment-Based Categories will hold steady for February under Dates for Filing with minor advancement for EB-2 and EB-3 Worldwide, EB-3 India and EB-5...more
Please note, while we address some country-specific updates, this Alert contains information regarding global requirements, policies, and procedures as they stand today. We highly recommend reviewing any global mobility...more
As anticipated, on December 21, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) published the Federal Register notice announcing its stateside visa renewal pilot program for H-1B visa holders. The notice outlines the program requirements...more
The Department of State released the November 2023 Visa Bulletin. All employment-based categories will hold steady in November under Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing with the exception of a small advancement for EB-2...more
Please note, while we address some country-specific updates related to the COVID-19 pandemic, this Alert contains information regarding global restrictions and closures as they stand today. Given the constantly changing...more
We now have full details of the UK visa, immigration and nationality price hikes announced by the Prime Minister in July. The Home Office has announced that higher fees will apply from October 4, 2023, and we would...more
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the agency will undertake three efforts to increase efficiency and reduce burdens within the legal immigration system. ...more
On May 13, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will temporarily suspend the biometrics requirements for certain I-539 applicants for a two-year period beginning on May 17, 2021. ...more
On March 31, 2021, the Trump administration’s Proclamation 10052, which had suspended the entry of certain H-1B, H-2B, J, and L nonimmigrant visa holders and their dependents to the United States, expired. In addition, on...more
As of April 27, 2021, the Biden administration has reinstated a longstanding policy of U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) that the Trump administration revoked in its first year. The reinstated policy, commonly...more
On May 3, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) acting associate director of the Service Center Operations Directorate, Connie L. Nolan, indicated in a court filing that USCIS is finalizing a policy that...more
On April 27, 2021, USCIS issued guidance to its officers instructing them to give deference to prior USCIS determinations when adjudicating petitions and applications involving the same facts and parties. This guidance...more
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will delay the effective date of a rule issued two weeks prior to the end of the Trump administration that seeks to change how H-1B “specialty occupation” visa applications are...more
USCIS will use Final Action chart in February 2021, reflecting modest advance movement in all EB classifications. The US Department of State has released its February 2021 Visa Bulletin, outlining per-country priority date...more
In the December 2020 Visa Bulletin, the EB-3 cutoff date for India will retrogress by one year to January 1, 2014, and the EB-1 cutoff date for India and China will advance by two months to November 1, 2020....more
The USCIS has announced that it will use the Dates for Filing chart in November, maintaining October’s significant advancement in EB-3, especially for persons chargeable to India, while all EB categories for the rest of the...more
The UK government has now published a Statement of Changes setting out the rules for the new UK immigration system. Applications under the new system will open on December 1, 2020 for non-EEA nationals. ...more