Insight, News, and Strategy on Immigration Matters Around the World
USCIS has announced that the 2020 Diversity Lottery will open for registration at noon EST on October 3, 2018 and run until noon EST on November 6, 2018. Fifty thousand green cards will be available.
Eligibility requirements are set out in the Federal Register. This year, individuals from the following countries are not eligible: …
Beginning September 11, 2018, USCIS immigration officers will have more discretion to issue petition and application denials without first issuing Requests for Evidence (RFEs) or Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs).
On September 6, 2018, the Ombudsman’s Office provided further details on the new policy change. The following was noted:
…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, at the government’s request, has been holding a case on the viability of H-4 EADs in abeyance for about six months. The government said it planned to make significant revisions to its proposal to eliminate H-4 EADs. In its Spring 2018 Regulatory Agenda, DHS announced the…
Since 2011, government processing of green card applications has taken longer and longer. Concerns expressed by lawmakers, immigration advocates, and the public prompted Senator and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Claire McCaskill (D-MO) in late-2016 to ask the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the DHS to review…
While the Administration and Congress work to reconcile the needs of DACA recipients with concerns over border security and illegal immigration, Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have introduced a bill to reform immigration programs for high-skilled workers. If the bill passes, it would go a long way to maintaining U.S. competitiveness in…
We previously reported on the Department of State’s acceptance of applications for the diversity immigrant lottery. Since then, the DOS has announced on the Diversity Lottery website:
Due to a technical issue, the DV-2019 entry period that began on October 3 has been closed. Entries submitted during October 3-10 are not valid and have been…
The USCIS has started conducting in-person interviews for all employment-based adjustment of status (AOS) applicants whose applications were filed on or after March 6, 2017. The AOS will not be approved until after a “successful” interview.
Although there is no formal guidance as yet, there have been some reports on what to expect.
The Process…
In May, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Haitians was extended for six months, until January 22, 2018. Generally extended in 18-month intervals, then-Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly had extended the Haitian TPS for six months only because “Haiti has made progress across several fronts since the devastating earthquake . . .…
Registration for the Department of State’s Diversity Lottery will be opened from noon EDT on October 3, 2017, to noon EDT on November 7, 2017.
This program makes 50,000 immigrant visas available to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S. The lottery registration and application process is conducted completely online and…
The Department of State has quietly revised guidance to Consular Officers on the “30/60 Day Rule” regarding adjustment of status applications.
The Rule sets standards for determining whether an alien would be inadmissible for inconsistent conduct. It provides:
…
