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.
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced that White House Proclamation 10052, which had temporarily suspended the entry of certain H-1B, H-2B, J (for certain categories of the Exchange Visitor Program), and L nonimmigrants, has expired on March 31, 2021.
USCIS has announced that it has received sufficient H-1B quota registrations for the fiscal year 2022, and it has also conducted the random selection/lottery drawing of those registrations. The USCIS also confirmed that it has notified the H-1B petitioners with selected registrations regarding the next steps to take, including the submission of H-1B quota petitions, starting on April 1, 2021 and lasting through at least June 30, 2021.
With the recent publication of the April 2021 Visa Bulletin by the U.S. Department of State, the USCIS has followed suit and announced that it will continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications for the April 2021 Visa Bulletin.
USCIS has announced that it is no longer applying the August 2019 Public Charge Final Rule. Instead, the USCIS will reverting to its previous year 2019 Interim Field Guidance and it is no longer considering an applicant’s receipt of Medicaid (with limited exceptions), public housing, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as part of its public charge inadmissibility determination factors
USCIS has announced filing flexibilities for certain F-1 foreign students who are affected by the delays in issuance of receipt notices for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. In particular, USCIS has extended flexibilities to the 14-month OPT (Optional Practical Training) period; option to refile after rejection by USCIS; and responses to Request for Further Evidence (RFEs) for missing or deficient signatures. But these flexibilities only apply to applications received on or after October 1, 2020 through May 1, 2021, inclusive.
Beginning on February 24, 2021, U.S. employers who are filing for change of status or extension of status to E-3 Australian nonimmigrant worker classification can file Form I-129, and also request premium processing service for their petitions by paying the required $2,500.00 premium processing fee in addition the regular Form I-129 filing fee.
President Biden has issued the latest proclamation revoking the previous administration’s ban on immigrant visa issuances pursuant to Proclamation 10014 that was initially issued on April 22, 2020 by then-president Trump.
After the U.S. Department of State published the March 2021 visa bulletin, the USCIS has followed up and announced that it will continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications for the March 2021 Visa Bulletin.
USCIS has announced that the registration period for the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 H-1B quota will start at 12 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 and run through 12 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 25, 2021.
On January 7, 2021, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service had announced new H-1B selection final rule which would have replaced the random lottery selection process with a system that allocated H-1B visa numbers based on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) four-level wage system. The end result would have given priority in the H-1B selection process to H-1B applicants whose offered wage falls within the highest wage level for their occupation and geographic area. It would have allowed U.S. companies who could afford high salaries to take up most of the slots in the H-1B quota system, and it would have prevented small and medium sized U.S. companies from being able to participate in the H-1B quota selection process on a level playing field.
After the U.S. Department of State published the February 2021 visa bulletin, the USCIS has followed up and announced that it will continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications for the February 2021 Visa Bulletin.
Newly sworn-in President Biden has taken steps to unwind various Trump-era Executive Orders that impact immigration issues, while also promising to introduce an ambitious and comprehensive immigration legislation in the coming days.
Starting on Tuesday, January 26, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) will require all air passengers entering the United States to show proof of negative COVID-19 test. The CDC is imposing this requirement in order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 virus in the United States.
USCIS has announced that beginning in January 2021, it will no longer issue the sticker that is usually affixed to the back of the lawful permanent resident (LPRs) expiring I-551 card (‘green cards’) to extend the validity of the card, after the filing of the Form I-90 application to replace permanent resident card.
The USCIS has announced that it is publishing a final rule that would change the previous H-1B cap lottery selection process by replacing the previous random drawing of H-1B cap petitions and instead assign H-1B visa numbers based on the Department of Labor’s Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) wage-tier level system.
