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
Permanent Residence
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…
New Protections for Foreign National Spouses of U.S. Citizens Announced
President Joe Biden announced protections for undocumented foreign national spouses of U.S. citizens who have lived in the United States for 10 years without a legal immigration status. This will protect approximately 500,000 such spouses from deportation and fear of deportation. The program is expected to launch by summer’s end.
This comes on the 12…
Customs and Border Protection Offers Tips to Avoid Summer Travel Delays
To avoid delays, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) wants to remind everyone who will be traveling this summer about its technologies, including lots of mobile apps, that will help streamline the reentry process for qualifying travelers. More and more travelers have been taking advantage of these tools, according to CBP.
Fourteen million people…
USCIS Removes Validity Period on Immigration Medical Exam Form I-693
Medical examinations and vaccination records properly completed and signed by a civil surgeon after Nov. 1, 2023, can be used indefinitely, USCIS has announced. There is no longer any expiration date.
Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, is used by some foreign nationals, including green card applicants, to show…
New Washington, D.C. Pay Transparency Law Scheduled to Go Into Effect on June 30, 2024
Washington, D.C. joins a growing group of states requiring employers to include projected salary ranges in job postings and to restrict the use of pay history in setting pay.
On Jan. 12, 2024, the mayor of D.C. signed the Wage Transparency Omnibus Amendment Act, which, among other things, requires private employers, regardless of size…
Understanding How U.S. Export Controls Affect Manufacturers’ Hiring Practices
The U.S. government has adjusted export control regulations in an effort to protect U.S. national security interests. The revisions primarily affect export of electronic computing items and semiconductors to prevent foreign powers from obtaining critical technologies that may threaten national security. As manufacturers are facing increased demand for their products and critical labor shortages, they…
New, Higher USCIS Filing Fees Take Effect April 1, 2024
Many USCIS filing fees are being adjusted upward beginning on April 1, 2024. That date, of course, is particularly significant. It is the earliest date that Cap H-1Bs can be filed.
The H-1B filing fee, for example, will rise from $460 to $780. The ACWIA Fee (to fund the training of U.S. workers) and the…
USCIS Clarifies Policy Guidance for International Students in F, M Status
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has changed its policy manual to make it easier to find and understand all the regulations regarding nonimmigrant students in F and M status. The new guidance consolidates the existing policies and clarifies issues of eligibility, school transfers, practical training and on-and off-campus employment. It provides more transparency…