The State Department has announced that through December 2022, U.S. Consulates may now waive the in-person interview requirement for the above-named temporary employment nonimmigrant visa applicants. The conditions for a waiver to be granted include the following: The Applicant must have been previously issued a visa of any type, and never refused a visa, unless … Read more
The Department of State has announced the procedures for the upcoming Visa Lottery. Detailed information is available on the Department of State website at: www.travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Diversity-Visa/DV-Instructions-Translations/DV-2023-Instructions-Translations/DV-2023-Instructions-English.pdf The registration period opens Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at 12:00 noon, EDT. Entries must be submitted online by 12:00 noon, EST on Tuesday, November 9, 2021. The Visa Lottery enables … Read more
Presidential Proclamation 10052, which temporarily suspended the entry of certain H-1B, H-2B, J (for certain categories within the Exchange Visitor Program), and L nonimmigrants, expired on March 31, 2021 and has not been extended. Visa applicants who have not yet been interviewed or scheduled for an interview will have their applications prioritized and processed in … Read more
The Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, has designated Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of 18 months, until September 2022. The designation was based on Venezuela’s unsafe conditions including, a complex humanitarian crisis marked by widespread hunger and malnutrition, increasing influence and involvement of non-state armed groups, repression, and collapsing … Read more
Yesterday, President Biden rescinded Proclamation 10014. Proclamation 10014 suspended the entry of certain immigrants until March 31, 2021. This immigrant visa ban affected employment-based, family-based and Diversity Lottery immigrant visa (green card) applications, with limited exceptions. Effective immediately, consulates are permitted to resume processing affected immigrant visa applications. The nonimmigrant ban affecting certain H-1B, H-2B, … Read more
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it will delay the H-1B Selection final rule, which amends the regulations governing the process by which USCIS selects H-1B registrations for the filing of H-1B cap-subject petitions, until December 31, 2021. The final rule, which was to take effect on March 9, 2021, would replace … Read more
USCIS has just announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 H-1B cap will open at 12pm EST on March 9 and run through 12pm EST on March 25. During this period, prospective petitioners and representatives will be able to fill out petitioner and beneficiary information and submit their registrations online. As before, there will be a $10 registration fee. USCIS intends to complete selections and notify registrants of … Read more
President Trump has extended Proclamation 10052 and Proclamation 10014 which were set to expire on December 31, 2020. Both Proclamations have been extended until March 31, 2021 and may be extended further. Proclamation 10052 restricts the issuance of certain nonimmigrant visas such as H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and certain J-1 statuses, including those for dependents. The … Read more
For the first time since 2016, USCIS is adjusting the fees required to file applications and petitions with the Service. They have calculated that the weighted average of the change is an increase of approximately 20%. Some fees have increased dramatically, and others have actually decreased. Some of the changes impacting cases frequently filed by … Read more
As a result of an injunction issued by the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York on July 29, 2020, USCIS will not apply the enhanced “public charge” requirements that went into effect on February 24, 2020. Pursuant to this decision, USCIS has indicated that applications or petitions filed on or after … Read more