In December 2021, Congressional Democrats tried to include immigration reforms in the Build Back Better Act (BBBA). Some of the proposals would have helped unauthorized immigrants by providing those eligible with parole and work authorization. The bill also would have reduced green card backlogs and provided some applicants with expedited green cards for a fee.
H-2A
White House, State Department Announcements on Travel Restrictions, Visa Interviews, and More
By Forrest G. Read IV on
Posted in Biden Administration, Citizenship, COVID-19, Department of State, ESTA, H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, H-4, L-1A / L-1B, L-2, O-1, P-1, Travel (General), US Immigration, USCIS, Visa Waiver Program
As 2021 comes to an end, the White House and the Department of State have announced:
- South African Travel Restrictions Lifted.
The 14-day travel restrictions on southern African countries will be lifted as of midnight on December 31, 2021. Adopted on November 29th, the restrictions based on spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant…
Legislation Update: House Passes Bills on Dreamers, Farm Workers
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed a memorandum fortifying the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. His administration also has granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to more individuals: those from Venezuela and Burma. Building on this, President Biden also proposed broad legislative immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for…
Relaxed H-2A Rules Continue
By Michael H. Neifach on
Due to the continuation of the COVID-19 national emergency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has decided to continue its temporary loosening of H-2A rules to make it easier to employ temporary, seasonal agricultural workers.
Under the rule:
- Employers can continue to petition to employ foreign workers who are already in the U.S. in H-2A
…
New Filing Fees Effective October 2
By Maggie Murphy on
Posted in Citizenship, COVID-19, DAPA / DACA, EADs, H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, L-1A / L-1B, O-1, Temporary (Non-immigrant) Work Visas, TN / NAFTA, Trump Administration, USCIS
New USCIS filing fees will go into effect on October 2, 2020, under a new final rule published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Federal Register on August 3, 2020. This rule raises fees by a weighted average of 20% and changes the current fee structure to impose specific fees per…
DHS Prepares to Loosen H-2A Rules Temporarily during COVID-19 Crisis
By Michael H. Neifach on
Recognizing that current travel restrictions and the closure of consulates and embassies abroad has made it nearly impossible to bring new H-2A workers to the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to release a rule in the Federal Register on April 20 to address this problem. The unpublished draft of the…