H-4

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The Department of Homeland Security set out the specifics about the upcoming new premium processing benefits in the Federal Register on March 30, 2022. The details, however, did not include any specific implementation dates, which it said depends on when the revenues exist to cover potential costs.

The plan is to make premium processing available…

Just as the Biden Administration is proposing increased funding for USCIS to help reduce the agency’s backlog, USCIS is announcing  future new actions to improve processing times.

USCIS:

  1. Plans to expand staffing, improve its technology, and establish new internal cycle time goals (the amount of time it takes to process a typical case). As the

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As 2021 comes to an end, the White House and the Department of State have announced:

  1. 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…

ICE has announced it will extend I-9 flexibility until April 30, 2022, due to continuing precautions related to COVID-19.

The guidance remains the same:

  • Employees who work exclusively in a remote setting due to COVID-19 continue to be temporarily exempt from the in-person requirements associated with Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, until they start working

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Illinois has amended the Illinois Human Rights Act to make “work authorization status” a protected category.

The amendment, Public Act 102-0233, became effective immediately upon the governor’s signing in early-August.

Under the amendment, “work authorization status” is defined as the status of a person born outside of the United States, and not a U.S.…

In Washington federal court, H-4 and L-2 spouses are continuing their fight to end the delays in approving visa extensions and work authorization – some of which are taking over a year to adjudicate. The plaintiffs in Edakunni v. Mayorkas are asking the court to decide whether this constitutes an unreasonable delay.

The plaintiffs contend…

Although the Biden Administration has taken steps to maintain H-4 EADs for spouses of highly skilled H-1B workers, the program is still in jeopardy. Now, the Biden Administration is representing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in defending the H-4 EAD rule.

In 2014, the Obama Administration published the H-4 EAD rule, giving certain H-4…

USCIS expects to suspend biometrics requirements for H-4, L-2 and E-1, E-2, and E-3 Form I-539 applications beginning May 17, 2021, for at least 24 months. It will retain the discretion to require biometrics on a case-by-case basis.

The suspension is intended to eliminate the adjudication backlog that has prevented H-4 and L-2 spouses from…

The United States Citizenship Act was introduced on February 18, 2021. Sponsored in the House by Representative Linda Sanchez (D-Calif) and in the Senate by Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the bill calls for broad immigration reform, including creating paths to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, expanding the number of available visas, and creating more access for…

On the same day his nominee for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas, was confirmed, President Joe Biden signed several Executive Orders regarding immigration, including one that directs complete review of policies.

The first, “Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New…