posted on: November 16, 2020
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled that certain people with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) can apply for green cards without leaving the United States. In Velazquez v. Barr, the Court held that receiving TPS is treated as an “inspection and admission” when someone applies for a green card. These prerequisites are important […]
posted on: November 16, 2020
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued a proposed rule that will change the way it selects the registrations of U.S. employers that want to file H-1B petitions subject to the annual “cap.” USCIS will now give preference to jobs with the highest wages. But the law establishing the H-1B visa category does not […]
posted on: November 16, 2020
President-elect Joe Biden’s plan on immigration stands in stark contrast to the xenophobic agenda the Trump administration has put forward the last four years. Much of Biden’s plan revolves around undoing some of the most damaging policies enacted under President Trump. Biden’s official immigration platform includes a commitment to immediately reverse some of Trump’s most controversial policies—as […]
posted on: November 16, 2020
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today plans to implement a revised version of the naturalization civics test. The agency first announced plans to revise the civics test in July 2019. The civics test is administered to applicants who apply for U.S. citizenship and is one of the statutory requirements for naturalizing. Applicants who apply for […]
posted on: November 13, 2020
On Monday, more than 240 visa applicants brought a proposed class action over federal visa restrictions, alleging that President Trump doesn’t have the authority to restrict immigration because of high unemployment caused by COVID-19. The applicants and their American sponsors sued Trump and the Department of State, DOJ, and DHS, telling a federal court that Congress did […]
posted on: November 13, 2020
The Trump administration has taken over 400 executive and regulatory actions in immigration, many of which President-elect Joe Biden has promised to unravel with executive orders. However, experts say that undoing some policies may take much longer than others. Some of the reversals that Biden can implement swiftly are canceling the travel ban against Muslim countries […]
posted on: November 2, 2020
On 10/28/20, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it will replace the H-1B visa lottery with a wage-based selection process. Here are a few things to know about the proposed rule and how it will change the current selection process: The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. companies to […]
posted on: October 29, 2020
In October 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced new rule changes that will make it harder for applicants to qualify for an H-1B visa and more expensive for companies to sponsor them. Here are a few things to know about the new policies: About 33% of the applicants applying for a new H-1B […]
posted on: October 26, 2020
Three new lawsuits have been filed challenging the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new rules impacting the H-1B visa category, with one also challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new H-1B rule. The complaints argue that the new H-1B rules will make it near impossible for many U.S. businesses to hire foreign workers—particularly those in […]
posted on: October 23, 2020
Homeland Security will pull 1,100 OPT permits from international students. On Wednesday, DHS said that more than 1,100 Optional Practice Training (OPT) program work permits will either be revoked or not renewed over the next few months following a crackdown on the program. OPT permits allows international students to work in the field of study with in the […]
