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
Automatic Extension Period Increased for Green Card Validity As of September 26, 2022, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) began automatically extending the validity of expired Permanent Resident Cards (i.e., green cards) from 12 to 24 months for lawful permanent residents who have timely and properly filed an application to renew an expiring or
Social Security Administration Resumes Regular E-Verify Timeframes and Operations The Social Security Administration (“SSA”) has resumed its regular E-Verify operations and is no longer providing extended timeframes to resolve employment eligibility verification mismatches for cases referred on or after July 15, 2022. As such, any mismatches referred on or after July 15th must be resolved
H-1B Cap Reached for Fiscal Year 2023 On August 23, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) reached the congressionally-mandated H-1B numerical allocations for the regular cap and advanced degree exemption (“master’s cap”). Notifications regarding selection or non-selection have been sent to registrants’ online accounts and the status for registrations that were not selected will
COVID-19 Flexibilities Extended through October 23, 2022 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced another extension of coronavirus (“COVID-19”)-related flexibilities due to the ongoing pandemic. The flexibilities, which were set to expire on July 25, 2022, have been extended through October 23, 2022 for certain receipts and notices issued between March 1, 2020 and
Annual Report to Congress by the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services (“CIS”) Ombudsman The CIS recently released its annual report on the state of affairs at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), addressing issues encountered by individuals and employers applying for immigration benefits and reviewing areas for improvement. While the CIS Ombudsman’s recommendations
H-1B Cap Petitions Transferred to the California Service Center On June 16, 2022, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that certain H-1B cap petitions for Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2023 that were filed at the Vermont Service Center have been transferred to the California Service Center due to an influx of case submissions
COVID Testing Mandate for International Air Travel into the U.S. Lifted On June 12, 2022, the Biden Administration lifted coronavirus (“COVID-19”) testing mandates for air travel into the U.S. after Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) officials determined the requirement was no longer needed because of widely available COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Since January
Relief for Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”) Applicants Effective May 4, 2022 On May 3, 2022, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced a Temporary Final Rule (“TFR”) to increase the automatic extension period for certain EAD categories. The temporary extension period (initially 180 days from the expiration date listed on the EAD) has been
Form I-9 COVID Flexibilities Extended Through October 21, 2022 The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) has extended I-9 flexibilities enacted in response to stay-at-home orders and document renewal difficulties faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The flexibilities, which were set to expire on April 30, 2022, have been extended through October 31, 2022. In addition to