Humanitarian parole programs for individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela have been cancelled by President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) on Securing Our Borders. USCIS’s Uniting for Ukraine application process has also been paused. To date, although it has been reported that Afghan refugees have been removed from flight manifests, the Afghan parole program
Permanent Residence
Navigating Change: What Updated USCIS Guidance on EB-2 National Interest Waiver Means for Petitioners
Takeaways
- USCIS issued updated policy guidance on 1/15/25 on how it will evaluate candidates for EB-2 immigrant visas seeking a National Interest Waiver (NIW).
- USCIS will be more closely scrutinizing a candidate’s qualifications, profession, experience, and support letters.
- These changes will make it more difficult to obtain NIWs in the future.
The U.S. Citizenship and…
Missed Opportunity: Outdated Schedule A List Means PERM Processing Delays Continue
The Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Proposed Rule to add new occupations to the Schedule A list is “dead,” at least for now. Stakeholders see this as a disappointment and a missed opportunity.
- The failure to move forward with this rule is a significant disappointment for many high-skilled immigrants and the employers who need them, all
DHS Announces Permanent Rule for 540-Day Automatic Extension of Work Authorization Renewals
The 540-day automatic extensions of expiring employment authorization documents (EADs) will be permanent policy, according to a DHS final rule scheduled to be published on Dec. 13, 2024. The new rule will become effective on Jan. 13, 2025.
EAD applicants will be entitled to the 540-day automatic extensions if:
- They timely filed an EAD renewal application
What Canada’s Sweeping Immigration Reform Means for U.S.
Canada is reducing the number of permanent and temporary residents it will admit over the next couple of years over concerns about housing prices as well as stress on infrastructure and social services due in part to the high levels of immigration.
This may impact U.S. companies and U.S. institutions of higher education most.
For…
Will DOL Update Schedule A List to Address Labor Shortages?
The Schedule A list of occupations that do not require the employer to conduct a labor market test (a PERM labor certification) as part of a green card application process has not been updated in at least 20 years. Almost a year ago, in December 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Request for…
USCIS: Automatic 36-Month Green Card Validity Extension for I-90 Renewals
As of September 10, 2024, USCIS will automatically extend the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (or “Green Cards”), for which a Form I-90, Application to Renew or Replace Permanent Resident Cards has been submitted, for 36 months. The previous automatic extension was for 24 months.
Although Permanent Resident status does not need to be…
High-Skilled Immigrants Saw Rise in Approvals for O-1A Visas, National Interest Waivers
In recent years, the landscape for high-skilled immigration to the United States has seen significant changes, particularly with the rise in approvals for O-1A visas and National Interest Waivers (NIW). This rise follows the Biden Administration’s 2022 favorable guidance aimed at welcoming high-skilled science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent and reversing the previous administration’s…
White House Extends Eligibility for Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians
President Joe Biden issued a Memorandum on Extending Eligibility for Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians that defers from June 30, 2024, through June 30, 2026, the removal of any eligible Liberian national who is present in the United States and who has already been entitled to Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) and has continuously resided…
Ups and Downs of Golden Visa Programs
The mixed results of their visa programs aimed at attracting foreign investors have some European countries reconsidering, even as the U.S. program continues.
In 2022, the United States reauthorized its EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program for five years, until September 2027. The program allows foreign nationals to make investments of between $800,000 and $1,050,000 in projects…