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The Department of State has delayed the effective date of the increase in consular fees from May 30, 2023, to June 17, 2023 (to provide a 60-day delay after the final rule was received by Congress).

The most relevant fee increases remain:

Visa TypeCurrent FeeRevised Fee
Non-petition-based nonimmigrant visas: B/1-B/2, F, M
…

On May 30, 2023, fees for nonimmigrant visas at all consulates abroad will increase. The increase can be avoided if the visa fee is paid on or after October 1, 2022, and before May 30, 2023, and an interview is scheduled within 365 days of payment. The interview need not take place during the 365…

USCIS announced it has completed the annual H-1B selection process (“lottery”) for Fiscal Year 2024, with early reports indicating a record number of registrations submitted. Each year, it becomes increasingly difficult to obtain one of the 85,000 H-1B visas allotted under the congressionally mandated quota or “cap.” In light of the news, employers and foreign-national…

USCIS shared updated guidance on how it will evaluate evidence for petitions seeking O-1B classification as individuals of Extraordinary Ability in the Arts or in the Motion Picture and Television Industry (MPTV).

The updated guidance, released on March 3, 2023, is found in the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M, Chapter 4 O-1 Beneficiaries.…

USCIS has proposed raising its filing fees – and the burden of those increased fees will fall primarily on employers large and small. For example, the filing fee for an H-1B visa would be raised by 70% from $460 to $780. The registration fee for Cap H-1Bs would increase from $10 to $215. On top…

The Biden-Harris Administration has taken steps to enhance the ability of U.S. STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) businesses to hire qualified foreign students and graduates as exchange visitors. Interested STEM businesses could become Host Organizations for J-1 Visa Exchange Visitors.

In a statement released by the White House, STEM talent is identified as “critical…

Hoping to recover some of its operating costs, reduce backlogs, and reestablish timely case processing, USCIS is proposing to adjust its fees for the first time since 2016.

The proposed rule is predicted to generate close to an additional $2 billion per year, on average, for USCIS by keeping humanitarian case fees low and adding…

Prior to 2021, collegiate student-athletes were not able to make sponsorship deals and profit from their names, images, and likenesses (NILs). However, in 2021, that changed when the NCAA adopted a new policy allowing student-athletes (those headed for professional teams, as well as less prominent players) to profit from, and build their brands, while in…

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will no longer issue a paper Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, to individuals arriving to the United States at a land border. Now, the information that was on the I-94 is on the CBP’s I-94 website and available on the CBP One Mobile application.

It has taken some time…

The Jumpstart Our Legal Immigration System Act (Jumpstart), introduced by Zoe Lofgren (D-Calf.) in the House of Representatives, if passed, could revolutionize the green card process. The legislation would recapture thousands of unused family- and employment-based visas and allow beneficiaries to expedite their processes by paying additional fees.

The Jumpstart Act would help to…