Department of Homeland Security Hot Off The Press – New Form I-9 Compliance and Remote Verification Updates Beginning August 1, 2023, E-Verify participating employers in good standing may use an optional, alternative procedure to examine Form I-9 documents. The alternative procedure allows a qualified employer (or authorized representative acting on an employer’s behalf) to remotely
Department of Homeland Security Premium Processing Expansion for Applicants Seeking Status Change U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) is now accepting premium processing requests for Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status applicants who are seeking to change into F (academic students), M (vocational student), or J (exchange visitors) status. Dependent children and/or spouses of
Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification – Compliance Flexibilities Extended Through August 2023 As coronavirus (“COVID-19”) flexibilities are faded out with the end of the public health emergency, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (“ICE”) have announced important Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification compliance updates for employers. The Form I-9
Fiscal Year 2024 H-1B Registration Updates The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced its H-1B cap updates for fiscal year 2024 (“FY 2024”), as it received 780,884 registrations for the year, a 61% increase in registrations from FY 2023. This is the result of over 400,000 eligible registrations for the same individuals,
Premium Processing Expansion for Certain F-1 Students The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) has expanded premium processing for F-1 Students who have a pending Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization with USCIS and are seeking pre- or post-Optional Practical Training (“OPT”) or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (“STEM”) OPT extensions. As of March 6,
Department of Homeland Security On January 30, 2023, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) began issuing newly redesigned U.S. Permanent Resident Cards (i.e., Green Cards) and Employment Authorization Documents (“EADs”) as part of its fraud prevention program. The new cards are equipped with updated technologies including holographic images, tactile printing, and optically variable ink,
H-1B Cap Lottery Timelines Released by USCIS The H-1B Cap Season is quickly approaching and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has recently announced important dates for the upcoming visa lottery. The initial registration period for fiscal year (“FY”) 2024 will run from 11:00 am CST on March 1, 2023, through 11:00 am CST on
USCIS Policy Updates for Certain Permanent Residency Card Renewal Applicants In response to lengthy processing times for naturalization applicants, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has updated its Policy Manual to allow for the automatic extension of Permanent Resident Cards (i.e., “Green Cards”) for individuals with properly filed and pending Form N-400, Application for
Munsch Hardt’s Immigration Team Wishes you a Happy Holiday The Immigration Team at Munsch Hardt wishes you the best this Holiday Season and beyond! Following two years of pandemic cancellations and as countries ease coronavirus (“COVID”) restrictions worldwide, domestic and international travel is forecasted to surge this year for the holidays. A few safety tips
Loss of Accreditation Determination by the U.S. Department of Education Based on the recent determination by the U.S. Department of Education that it no longer recognizes the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (“ACICS”) as an accrediting agency, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is having to revisit the effect of same on the