The U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) has announced that it is authorizing consular officers to waive in-person interview requirements for certain temporary employment nonimmigrant visa applicants in the following visa categories: H-1B specialty occupation and H-4 dependent family members; H-3 trainee or special education visitors; L-1 intracompany transferees; O visas (individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement); P visas (athletes, artists, and entertainers); and Q visas (international cultural exchange program participants). This in-person visa waiver will last through December 31, 2022.
Following the U.S. Department of State’s publication of the January 2022 Visa Bulletin, the USCIS has once again confirmed that it will continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications for the January 2022 Visa Bulletin as family-based immigrant visa usage slowly starts to speed up due to U.S. consulates steadily re-opening abroad.
USCIS has announced that it is temporarily waiving the requirement for the Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that the USCIS-designated civil surgeon must sign the form no more than sixty (60) days before an applicant files an application for an immigration benefit (such as filing the Form I-485 adjustment of status) through September 30, 2022.
Following the U.S. Department of State’s publication of the December 2021 Visa Bulletin, the USCIS has once again confirmed that it will continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications for the December 2021 Visa Bulletin.
USCIS has announced that it has conducted a third round of random selection of the Fiscal Year 2022 H-1B quota registrations on November 19, 2021. USCIS has set the petition filing period based on registrations selected on November 19, 2021 to begin on November 22, 2021 and close on February 23, 2022. USCIS has also updated the relevant myUSCIS accounts to show the inclusion of a selection notice, which includes details about when and where to file these latest H-1B quota petitions.
Following the U.S. Department of State’s recent publication of the June 2021 Visa Bulletin, the USCIS has just announced that it will continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications for the June 2021 Visa Bulletin.
Via Presidential Proclamation and beginning on and after November 8, 2021, foreign nationals who possess valid visas, along with proof of COVID-19 vaccination can finally fly to the United States. They must also follow the pre-requisite three (3) day COVID testing requirement. The updated policy signals the gradual resumption of international air travel for foreign visitors to the U.S. who have been restricted from coming to the U.S. ever since the various travel restrictions were first imposed shortly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. This new policy still leaves in place the land border crossing restrictions that are currently in place between the U.S. and Canada, and between the U.S. and Mexico, which is still restricted to essential travel only. The expectation is that announcements for land border crossing policy changes will be unveiled soon as well.
Following the U.S. Department of State’s publication of the November 2021 Visa Bulletin, the USCIS has once again confirmed that it will continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications for the November 2021 Visa Bulletin.
USCIS has announced that starting on September 4, 2021, it is extending the combined use of the I-797 filing receipt notices that are issued after the filing of I-751 petition to remove conditions on residence, and I-829 petition by entrepreneur to remove conditions on permanent resident status, along with the expiring Permanent Resident Card, from 18 months to 24 months past the expiration of the Permanent Resident Card.
Following the U.S. Department of State’s recent publication of the September 2021 Visa Bulletin, the USCIS has just formally announced that it will continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications for the September 2021 Visa Bulletin.
USCIS has announced that after determining that it needed to select additional H-1B quota registrations in order to reach the Fiscal Year 2022 numerical allocations, on July 28, 2021, the USCIS selected previously submitted H-1B electronic registrations via random drawing. Employers and legal representatives may log into their H-1B registration accounts to check if any of their previously submitted electronic registrations were selected this time.
Following the U.S. Department of State’s recent publication of the July 2021 Visa Bulletin, the USCIS has just announced that it will continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications for the July 2021 Visa Bulletin.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced new updates to the USCIS Policy Manual. The updates clarify the circumstances and criteria for expedited processing, determine the circumstances in which reviewing officers should issue Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs). Additionally, the new updates extend the validity period for new and renewal employment authorization documents (EADs). According to the USCIS, these changes are consistent with the intent of Executive Order 14012 to improve US immigration services. Changes to the Policy Manual are designed to alleviate processing delays and reduce burdens on applicants.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will offer limited time filing flexibilities to provide relief to certain applicants and petitioners impacted by delays at a USCIS lockbox. These flexibilities only apply to benefit requests submitted to a USCIS lockbox. A benefit request is the form through which the applicant/petitioner requests a benefit for the USCIS to approve.
The USCIS announced the continuance of the International Entrepreneur Parole program, which will become a viable way for foreign entrepreneurs to start businesses with high growth potential in the United States. The purpose of the International Entrepreneur Parole program is to grant a period of authorized stay, or “parole” to foreign entrepreneurs on a case-by case basis who can prove that their start-up business venture in the U.S. (created within the last five years) would provide a significant public benefit through rapid business growth and who merit a favorable exercise of discretion.
USCIS has announced that it will soon suspend the biometric requirements for certain I-539 applicants for a two (2) year period starting on May 17, 2021 and lasting through May 23, 2022. The suspension of the biometrics requirement will cover applicants in the following visa categories: H-4, L-2, and E-1, E-2, and E-3 categories for filings that used the Form I-539, and apply to those applications that were either:
The White House has announced that effective on 12:01 am EDT on May 4, 2021, the United States is placing a COVID-19 public health travel ban for foreign nationals who have been physically present in India within fourteen (14) days of their travel to the United States.
Following the U.S. Department of State’s recent publication of the May 2021 Visa Bulletin, the USCIS has just announced that it will continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications for the May 2021 Visa Bulletin.
