Insight, News, and Strategy on Immigration Matters Around the World
While it typically uses the “Final Action Dates” chart for accepting adjustment of status application filings, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that for October 2020, it will allow employment-based adjustment of status applicants to file based upon the U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) October “Dates for Filing” chart.
This means that individuals…
Reportedly, USCIS will soon announce the temporary furlough of the majority of its employees – 15,000 employees, or three-fourths of its workforce.
The furloughs will begin in August 2020 if the agency does not receive additional fiscal support.
While being called temporary, the head of the American Federation of Government Employees is concerned the reduction-in-force…
Premium processing will resume in stages according to USCIS. Cap-subject H-1B petitions will be included only in the last phase.
June 1, 2020: USCIS will accept requests for premium processing for all eligible Form I-140 Immigrant Visa Petitions. EB1-C Multi-National Manager or Executive and EB2 National Interest Waiver petitions are not eligible for premium…
A bi-partisan group has introduced a new bill in both the House and the Senate that would make additional immigrant visas (green cards) available to doctors and nurses. The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act (HWRA) would ease the long wait lines for green cards that make the U.S. a less attractive alternative to other countries that…
A temporary suspension of entry by certain employment-based, family-based, and other immigrants has been enacted. For an analysis of the presidential proclamation suspending that immigration to the United States, please see our full publication here.
Due to COVID-19, USCIS announced that as of March 20, 2020, it is immediately suspending premium processing service for all Form I-129 and I-140 petitions until further notice. USCIS also said that petitioners that have already filed a form requesting premium processing will receive refunds if their cases are not acted on within the 15…
USCIS is starting the year with a growing backlog of processing delays.
In May 2019, a bi-partisan group of Senators wrote to USCIS requesting information on why the service-oriented agency adjudicating immigration benefits, such as work authorization, is disrupting American businesses through administrative inefficiencies.
Here are some of the facts:
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The Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019, introduced early in 2019 in both the House and the Senate (H.R. 1044 and S. 386), aims to eliminate the Green Card backlog for Indian and Chinese nationals. In July, the bill passed the House.
The Fairness bill would eliminate the per-country cap for employment-based immigrants…
USCIS has published its new final rule significantly changing the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program to address concerns about fraud, abuse, and national security risks. The new regulations will become effective on November 21, 2019.
The EB-5 Investor Visa Program was created almost 30 years ago to incentivize foreign investments and create jobs in the United…
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:
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