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News & EventsDepartment of State Clarifies Standard of Review for Blanket L Visa Application
The Department of State recently updated its guidelines regarding the review of Blanket L visa applications, stating that applicants must demonstrate their eligibility by "clear and convincing evidence." Further, consular officers are directed by the new guidelines to...
USCIS Increases Premium Processing Fee
Beginning on December 2, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will require an increased fee for premium processing for certain employment-based petitions. The fee will increase from $1,410 to $1,440 for Form I-129, Petition for a...
November 2019 Visa Bulletin Issued
The Department of State (DOS) has issued its November 2019 Visa Bulletin. Most notably, there have been steady advancements for nearly all chargeability areas. EB-1-Worldwide: China: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Priority date of February 1, 2017Â (Advancement of 93 days)...
Health Insurance Requirements Imposed on Immigrant Visa Applicants
Beginning on November 3, 2019, according to a presidential proclamation, the U.S. Department of State will suspend issuance of immigrant visas to foreign nationals who are applying at U.S. consulates that are unable to show that they will have unsubsidized health...
Injunction Following USCIS’s Publication of New Versions of Immigration Forms
On October 9, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published new editions of Forms I-485, I-129, I-539/I-539A, I-864, I-864EZ, and I-944. On its website, USCIS stated that it would accept the previous edition of the forms if they are...
Congress Passes Short-Term Spending Measure to Temporarily Extend Key Immigration Programs
With the passing of a short-term spending measure, Congress temporarily extended federal government funding through November 21, 2019 while FY 2020 budget negotiations continue. This means that many key immigration programs, which are under federal functions, will...
Department of State Opens Registration for FY 2021 Diversity Visa Lottery
The Department of State (DOS) announced that it would begin accepting online registrations for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery starting on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at noon EDT. Foreign nationals will have until Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at noon...
October 2019 Visa Bulletin Issued
The Department of State (DOS) has issued its October 2019 Visa Bulletin. Most notably, EB-1 India is available again and many chargeability areas for EB-2 and EB-3 are current again. EB-1-Worldwide: China: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Priority date of November 1,...
H-4 EAD Rescission Proposal Remains Under Federal Review
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) filed a status report in response to a court order in Save Jobs USA v DHS, a lawsuit that challenges the work authorization for H-4 spouses of H-1B beneficiaries. According to the status report, the proposal for...
DHS Proposes Registration Fee for H-1B Cap
On September 3, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a proposed rule requiring petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions to pay a $10 fee for each electronic registration they submit to the United States Citizenship and Immigration...