U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced availability of biometric appointments reschedule via telephone. Biometric appointments are habitually required prior to adjudication of multiple immigration proceedings, including those for permanent immigration to the U.S. Since appointment dates are randomly picked by the government, applicants frequently need to reschedule them due to business and personal
Department of Homeland Security Update – This update reflects some of the best news from DHS as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it may reopen and/or reconsider its denial decisions of Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, proceedings that were based on three recently rescinded policy memos. USCIS is expected to use
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has started the new year with an announcement of the final rule intended to modify the annual H-1B petitions selection process under the government-imposed cap, amend current H-1B visa lottery procedures, and prioritize wages to protect the economic interests of U.S. workers and “better ensure the most highly skilled
H1-B Visa Program: Interim Final Rule DHS has announced its interim final rule (IFR) that amounts to an overhaul of the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program with a goal to protect the U.S. labor market. According to DHS, “more than half a million H-1B nonimmigrants in the United States have been used to displace U.S. workers,”
USCIS Reopened Selection of Registrations for H-1B: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reopened selection of registrations for the FY2021 H-1B Cap. The initial selection occurred in March of this year and all selected H-1B petitions were supposed to be filed in June 2020. However, there were indications that, most likely, due to
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Deadlines Due to the ongoing pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had previously extended deadlines for responses to the government’s notices such as requests for evidence (RFEs), Notices of Intent to Deny, Revoke, Rescind, and Terminate proceedings, and filing dates for requests for a hearing, appeal, and related motions.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced it will be bringing back expedited processing (i.e., Premium Processing) option for the Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker-based filings and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition. Importantly, the return of Premium Processing will be gradual and proceed in phases over the month of June. Effective June 1,
DHS Update In response to the ongoing pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has extended certain immigration filing deadlines. This pertains specifically to petitioners’ and applicants’ responses to USCIS’s requests for evidence(RFEs), notices of intent to deny or revoke, appeal notices, and a few other responsive proceedings. If the issuance date listed on the
Effective March 13, 2020, President Trump issued a proclamation suspending entry into the United States for immigrants and nonimmigrants who were physically present in certain European countries during the 14-day period prior to their entry or attempted entry into the United States. Affected countries include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
As the H-1B annual lottery is upon us and the government is busy implementing the new electronic registration system for the capped H-1B filings, proceed with caution. The USCIS’s database is now “live” for both attorney and employers’ account creation for subsequent lottery registration. Be sure to coordinate account creation with your immigration legal counsel