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News & EventsUSCIS Will Implement Revised Edition of Form I-539
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will implement a revised edition of Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status beginning on March 11, 2019. The revised Form I-539 will require the following: Every...
President Trump Signs FY 2019 Spending Bill
After a government shutdown that lasted for 35 days, President Trump signed a fiscal year 2019 spending bill on February 15, 2019 that was passed by Congress. Specifically regarding immigration, the spending bill provided funding for the Department of Homeland...
USCIS Resumes Premium Processing for H-1B Petitions Filed on or Before December 21, 2018
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it will resume premium processing for all H-1B petitions filed on or before December 21, 2018. Back on September 11, 2018, USCIS had announced that it was extending a previously...
March 2019 Visa Bulletin Issued
The Department of State (DOS) has issued its March 2019 Visa Bulletin. Most notably, there were steady advancements for all priority dates. EB-1-Worldwide: China: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Priority date of February 22, 2017Â (Advancement of 14 days) India: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ...
Reminder: FY 2020 H-1B Cap Begins on April 1, 2019
The H-1B cap season for fiscal year 2020 will begin on Monday, April 1, 2019. As expected in previous years, the H-1B cap demand is anticipated to be high this cap season as well. How can H-1B employers prepare for this H-1B cap season? H-1B employers should reach out...
U.S. State Department Reducing H and L Visa Interview Locations in China
Beginning on March 1, 2019, the United States State Department will only conduct H and L visa interviews in China at three locations: the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, and the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai. As such, H and L visa interviews...
DHS May Publish Proposal to Rescind H-4 Employment Authorization
Since March 2015, the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) program for spouses of H-1B beneficiaries (H-4) has been in place, offering H-4 spousal work authorization. However, in early 2017, the Trump Administration announced its intentions to review and reconsider...
DHS Announces Changes to the H-1B Cap
On Thursday, January 31, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted for public inspection a final rule that will make significant changes to the H-1B cap process. As mentioned in a previous article, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services...
USCIS Opens Premium Processing for Pending FY 2019 H-1B Cap Cases
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will be resuming premium processing services for pending FY 2019 H-1B cap cases starting on Monday, January 28. Since April 2, 2018, premium processing had been suspended for FY 2019 H-1B...
Temporary End to the Partial Government Shutdown
The United States Senate and House of Representatives passed a spending measure that temporarily ended the partial government shutdown through February 15, 2019. As mentioned in previous articles, a handful of immigration functions were affected by the partial...