Blog
News & EventsThe Elevation of Discretion: Analyzing USCIS’s New High Bar for Adjustment of Status An In-Depth Briefing on Policy Memorandum PM-620-1099 & Client Defense Strategies
On May 22, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued Policy Memorandum (PM) PM-620-1099, introducing a paradigm-shifting standard for evaluating Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. The memorandum characterizes...
H-2B quota numbers increase
BREAKING IMMIGRATION NEWS H-2B numbers increase. The H2B Visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for temporary non-agricultural work. The work can be a one-time job, seasonal job, intermittent, or peak load. Non-agricultural...
PERM NEWS THIS WEEK
PERM NEWS THIS WEEK The US Department of Labor has updated processing times this week for our clients considering or applying for permanent residence. PERM Processing: As of Nov. 30, the department was adjudicating applications filed in March and...
FY 2023 H-1B Cap Registration Period Opening on March 1
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that the initial registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 H-1B Cap will be from March 1, 2022 at 12:00pm Eastern through March 18, 2022 at 12:00pm Eastern. During this registration period,...
One-Day COVID Test Required for All International Travel
In response to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, beginning December 6th, the Biden Administration will require all inbound international airline passengers ages 2 and older to submit a negative COVID test taken within 1 calendar day of travel in order to board their...
USCIS to Ease Work Authorization Process for Certain L-2 and H-4 Spouses
As a result of a settlement agreement in a lawsuit that challenged the lengthy processing delays of H-4 and L-2 Employment Authorization Document (EAD) applications (Shergill et al v. Mayorkas), USCIS has agreed to change its policies regarding these H-4 and L-2 EAD...
Regional Travel Bans Rescinded Effective November 8, 2021
On October 25, 2021, the White House issued a presidential proclamation that will be effective November 8, 2021 that rescinds the current regional COVID-19 travel bans and imposes a COVID-19 vaccination requirement on nonimmigrants traveling by air from any country to...
EB-5 News
On Oct. 4, 2021,United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its EB-5 website and issued an alert regarding the current lapse of the EB-5 Regional Center Program. The Regional Center Program has been lapsed since June 30, 2021, when...
USCIS Extends Existing COVID-19 Accommodations
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is further extending its 60 day deadline extension policy for responses to various agency actions to January 15, 2022 in its ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The accommodation will continue to be...
White House to Replace Regional COVID Travel Bans with Vaccination Requirement
The White House announced on September 20, 2021 that a new policy will be replacing the regional COVID travel bans that are currently in place. Expected to start in November 2021, the new policy will require all foreign nationals to show proof of full COVID...