Immigration

Lawful permanent residents may receive temporary evidence of their lawful permanent resident status by mail rather than physically visiting a field office to receive an Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication (ADIT) stamp (also known as an I-551 stamp). Lawful permanent residents are entitled to evidence of status and may require temporary evidence of their status […]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today issued policy guidance on how we analyze an employer’s ability to pay the proffered wage for immigrant petitions in certain first, second, and third preference employment-based immigrant visa classifications.  Employers seeking to classify prospective or current employees under the first, second, and third preference employment-based immigrant visa classifications that […]

Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the expansion of premium processing for certain F-1 students. For the first time, Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, is also available to file online for students seeking optional practical training (OPT) or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) OPT. The premium processing expansion for certain F-1 students will […]

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to update when an immigrant visa number “becomes available” for the purpose of calculating a noncitizen’s age in certain situations under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). For a child to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the United States based on […]

Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2024 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 1 and run through noon Eastern on March 17, 2023. During this period, prospective petitioners and representatives will be able to complete and submit their registrations using our online […]

Effective immediately, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify that both asylees and refugees must have been physically present in the United States for one year when we adjudicate their Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, rather than at the time they […]

USCIS is extending the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) for petitioners who properly file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status for 48 months beyond the card’s expiration date. This change started on January 11, 2023, […]

The Department of State, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, is pleased to announce the creation of the Welcome Corps, a new private sponsorship program that empowers everyday Americans to play a leading role in welcoming refugees arriving through the U.S. The Welcome Corps will build on Americans’ generosity of spirit […]

The Department of State announces today the launch of an Afghan family reunification landing page, which contains information on how Afghans in the United States can seek to reunify with their family members. To learn more, click the link: https://www.state.gov/state-department-launches-afghan-family-reunification-landing-page/

Nearly 1.6 million asylum applications are pending in US immigration courts and at US Citizenship and Immigration Services – the largest number of pending asylum cases on record. To learn more, click the link: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/26/us/asylum-backlog-highest-record/index.html