Immigration

We are providing additional guidance on our interpretation of changes to the EB-5 program in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) made by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA), specifically the required investment timeframe and how we treat investors who are associated with a terminated regional center. This guidance clarifies the required investment timeframe […]

Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it is extending and expanding previously announced filing fee exemptions and expedited application processing for certain Afghan nationals. These actions will help Afghan nationals resettle, and in many cases, reunite with family in the United States by enabling USCIS to more quickly process their requests for employment […]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating guidance in our Policy Manual to increase the maximum available validity period to 5 years for initial and renewal Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for certain noncitizens who are employment authorized incident to status or circumstance, including those admitted as refugees, paroled as refugees, and granted asylum, as well as […]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the extension and redesignation of Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months from Nov. 21, 2023, through May 20, 2025. DHS also posted a Federal Register notice for public inspection. The extension of TPS for Afghanistan allows current beneficiaries to re-register to retain TPS through May 20, 2025, if they […]

On Sept. 13, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued a decision finding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Final Rule unlawful and expanding the original July 16, 2021 injunction and order of vacatur to cover the Final Rule. However, the court maintained a partial stay of the order […]

Effective Sept. 12, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) issued updated policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the types of evidence that USCIS evaluates to determine eligibility for extraordinary ability (E11) and outstanding professor or researcher (E12) employment-based immigration visa classifications.   The update adds clarifying guidance describing examples of relevant evidence, with […]

On August 24, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new update to its policy manual clarifying a previous policy change aimed at expanding green card eligibility under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) for children who lost eligibility, or “aged out,” due to the years-long visa backlogs.   Before getting into the new […]

On June 8, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that certain eligible Afghan parolees would be considered, on a case-by-case basis, for an extension of their initial period of parole and employment authorization. To be considered for an extension, eligible Afghan parolees must have a pending application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for […]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has launched a new online form for individuals, attorneys, and accredited representatives to request an in-person appointment at their local field office without having to call the USCIS Contact Center. This online appointment request form allows individuals or legal representatives to request an in-person appointment at a field office only, […]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), today issued new guidance to assist stateless noncitizens in the United States who wish to obtain immigration benefits or have submitted other requests to USCIS. To learn more, click the link: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-issues-guidance-for-stateless-noncitizens-in-the-united-states