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The U.S. Department of State (DOS), which is responsible for all U.S. embassies and consulates, has provided an update on its plan for the phased resumption of routine visa service across the globe. While this provides the general plan on how it will go about restarting normal visa services, no timelines are provided. To the […]

 On Thursday, USCIS announced the final rule that will modify the H-1B cap selection process, amend current lottery procedures, and prioritize wages to protect the economic interests of U.S. workers and better ensure the most highly skilled foreign workers benefit from the temporary employment program. Modifying the H-1B cap selection process will incentivize employers to offer […]

Per USCIS: As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, an increase in filings, current postal service volume and other external factors, you may experience a delay of four to six weeks in receiving your receipt notice after properly filing an application or petition with a USCIS lockbox. These delays will not affect the receipt date which […]

 On Tuesday, USCIS announced updated guidance expanding the discretionary criteria USCIS officers use to determine whether to interview applicants filing Form I-485 based on refugee or asylee status. The updated criteria are within the parameters of USCIS’ regulatory authority to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether an interview is necessary to determine the admissibility of an alien […]

 On Tuesday, the DOJ finalized policies that will narrow the window for migrants to apply for asylum and raise immigration court fees. The two policies, both set to take effect days before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated, mark the latest effort by the administration to make it more difficult – and more expensive – for foreign citizens […]

The Trump administration has used the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to curtail many immigrant and nonimmigrant visa programs, including J-1 cultural exchange visitors. But with vaccines on the immediate horizon and a new Biden administration soon to take office, what should we expect for programs like the J-1 visa? Many visa programs have faced intense scrutiny […]

The Trump administration has finalized a sweeping regulation that will effectively end asylum protection in the United States. The regulation, which was proposed in June, is set to go into effect on January 11—only nine days before President Trump leaves office. If implemented, it will mean that very few people fleeing persecution will be able […]

USCIS announced on Monday that, as a result of an order from a federal judge in NY, it is reinstating the DACA program effective Dec. 7. As a result, USCIS is now accepting first time DACA applications, DACA renewals, applications for advance parole, extending one-year grants of deferred action under DACA to two years, and […]

 On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration cannot use the Covid-19 pandemic to justify sudden visa restrictions affecting thousands of professionals working in the U.S. on H-1B visas. On Oct. 6, the DHS and the Dept. of Labor issued new constraints on the H-1B visa program without going through the required notice and […]

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 […]