Receipt Notice Delays Due to COVID-19 restrictions and filing increases, USCIS is currently experiencing a four to six week delay in issuing receipt notices for applications and petitions filed at a USCIS lockbox facility. The delay period varies according to the lockbox facility and application/petition filed, with more significant delays for individuals filing Form I-485,
Department of State Update: In light of the severe backlogs in visa interview scheduling and in an effort to expedite visa issuance to qualified applicants, the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) has extended the Interview Waiver Program for certain nonimmigrants (H-1, H-3, H-4, L, O, P, and Q) and their dependents through December 31, 2022.
In light of the on-going pandemic, our usual travel advisory has been updated to include a few safety tips if you plan to travel internationally for the holidays: Travel Bans: Travelers from a number of countries in Africa (Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe) where the Omicron COVID-19 variant has been
International Travel Update: On November 26th, 2021, the White House issued a proclamation suspending and limiting entry into the United States for certain individuals traveling from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe which are the countries where the COVID-19 Omicron variant has been detected in substantive numbers thus far. Restrictions began
Effective November 8th, Travel Bans are Lifted and COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements Take Effect President Biden has issued a proclamation rescinding the country-by-country travel restrictions previously applied during the COVID-19 pandemic which banned foreign nationals from entering the U.S. if they had been present in any of the following countries within 14 days: China, Iran, the
The Department of State Releases Changes to Vaccine Requirements for Immigrant, Nonimmigrant, and K Fiancé(e) Visa Applicants Effective October 1, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) instructions for panel physicians requires all immigrant visa, K visa applicants, and nonimmigrant visa applicants who are referred to the panel physicians to receive a full
U.S. to Rescind Travel Bans for China, Iran, the Schengen Area, U.K., Ireland, Brazil, South Africa and India The U.S. plans to lift air travel restrictions for foreign nationals who are fully vaccinated, targeting early November 2021 for foreign travel to resume for the first time in over a year. Since early in the COVID-pandemic,
– United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has agreed to extend the validity period of receipt notices issued to conditional permanent residents with pending Removal of Condition applications. The receipt notices, used by the conditional residents to prove their legal status, employment, and travel eligibility in the U.S. currently are valid for 18 months.
– Applicants that file for lawful permanent resident status using USCIS’s Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status, will now be able to apply for a social security number (SSN) or replacement card as part of the adjustment of status application process. Previously, these individuals had to apply for an SSN at a Social Security office.
In March 2021, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted the initial lottery round for the electronic H-1B registrations for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 H-1B cap. The petition filing period for the selected registrations was from April 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021. USCIS uses historical data related to H-1B petition approvals, denials