An investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has resulted in a federal grand jury indictment charging 96 people for their alleged roles in a large-scale marriage fraud scheme to illegally obtain admission and immigrant status in the U.S. According to the criminal charges, each beneficiary spouse entered into an agreement
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the launch of a new program called eProcessing as part of USCIS’s effort to transition to a digital business model. eProcessing allows applicants to apply for a benefit, communicate with USCIS, and receive a decision on a case. The new technology connects previously separate technology systems within the
USCIS has completed its computer-generated H-1B petitions selection process under the lottery for fiscal year (FY) 2020. The government reported receipt of 201,011 H-B petitions during the brief filing period in early April 2019. USCIS had started the lottery process with the selection of the H-1B petitions submitted on behalf of all beneficiaries and followed
DHS has announced its notice of proposed rulemaking pertaining to the H-1B visa program which would affect U.S. businesses submitting H-1B petitions under the annual cap. Chances are high that the new rule will be adopted prior to the start of the new H-1B cap season on April 1, 2019. Under the proposed rule, the government will
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has started implementing their policy memorandum pertaining to the broader use of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in immigration court. USCIS may now issue NTAs to applicants who receive a denial on a petition that affects their U.S. immigration status. USCIS will send denial letters and provide details on how
A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy memorandum concerning accrual of unlawful presence for foreign students and exchange visitors (F, M, and J nonimmigrants) recently became effective. While, previously, most foreign students only started accruing unlawful presence on the day after USCIS formally found a nonimmigrant status violation while adjudicating a request for another
Starting September 11, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be expanding the temporary suspension of premium processing (currently only applicable to cap-subject H-1B petitions) to include certain additional H-1B petitions. The premium processing suspension for the affected H-1B petitions is expected to last until February 19, 2019. The only H-1B petitions for which
The September 2018 DOS Visa Bulletin “Final Action” chart contains important updates. The September Visa Bulletin for employment-based cases became effective August 9, 2018, due to high demand of immigrant visa numbers in the EB-2/EB-3 Worldwide, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Philippines preference categories. The DOS states that the increased demand for immigrant visa
The later part of July brought two major immigration developments that affect U.S. businesses and foreign nationals. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has recently issued a memorandum pertaining to the government’s policy on the Requests for Evidence (RFEs) issuance for petitions and applications for various immigration benefits. While the practice of the
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has completed the H-1B petitions selection for processing under the government-imposed cap, and, at this time, all petitioners that have not received receipt notices for their H-1B submissions should anticipate the petitions’ return with standard rejection letters from the USCIS. Importantly, foreign students using the “cap gap” provisions