Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a proposed rule that will substantially increase the fees for certain H-1B and L-1 petitions. The agency plans to clarify that the 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee (9-11 Fee) applies to initial filings and to all extensions for employers with at least 50 employees of whom at least
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Customs and Border Protection Offers Tips to Avoid Summer Travel Delays
To avoid delays, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) wants to remind everyone who will be traveling this summer about its technologies, including lots of mobile apps, that will help streamline the reentry process for qualifying travelers. More and more travelers have been taking advantage of these tools, according to CBP.
Fourteen million people…
U.S. Southern Border Shut Down Temporarily to Asylum Applications
President Joe Biden has ordered a temporary suspension of asylum applications for migrants who cross the southern border illegally between ports of entry.
This suspension went into effect at midnight on June 5 because the number of illegal border crossings (or encounters) has reached the order’s threshold of 2,500 per day. If illegal encounters drop…
CBP Proposes Changes to Arrival and Departure Record, ESTA Systems
Since 2004, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been working on improving the systems used to document the entries and exits of nonimmigrants to and from the United States. There is no comprehensive easy-to-use system in place to collect exit data, although there are ways to report departure that the CBP characterizes as burdensome…
USCIS Issues Employment Authorization Procedures for Palestinians on Deferred Enforced Departure
On April 12, 2024, USCIS issued a Federal Register notice establishing procedures for Palestinians eligible for Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) valid through Aug. 13, 2025. President Joe Biden had announced in February 2024 DED for up to 18 months through Aug. 13, 2025, for Palestinians who had been…
DHS: Automatic Extension of Work Authorization for Certain Renewal Applicants
Good news for those applying for or with pending Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewals. DHS is temporarily reinstituting its 540-day automatic extension of work authorization for eligible individuals.
Although DHS has streamlined its EAD process and extended EAD validity periods for certain applicants from two years to five years, the government still struggles to timely…
Number of Chinese Students at U.S. Universities Drops
Chinese students make up the majority of international students in the United States. However, the number of Chinese students in U.S. universities has dropped from a high of 370,000 in 2019 to about 290,000 today.
Part of the drop has been attributed to the Trump Administration’s 2020 executive order suspending entry of certain students and…
USCIS Clarifies Policy Guidance for International Students in F, M Status
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has changed its policy manual to make it easier to find and understand all the regulations regarding nonimmigrant students in F and M status. The new guidance consolidates the existing policies and clarifies issues of eligibility, school transfers, practical training and on-and off-campus employment. It provides more transparency…
Department of State Announces Pilot Program for Stateside Processing of Nonimmigrant Visas
The Department of State (DOS) will begin a pilot program for issuing nonimmigrant visas inside the United States on Jan. 29, 2024. The pilot program will be available to a narrowly defined class of nonimmigrants for a limited period. Once the proof of concept is demonstrated, the DOS plans to continue and expand the stateside…
TSA Offers Tips for Smoother Air Travel During Holiday Season
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is gearing up for what it expects will be its busiest holiday travel season ever while a potential government shutdown may be days away. Although TSA employees and federal air traffic controllers will be required to work without pay during a shutdown, there could be more “out sick” calls than…