Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a proposed rule that will substantially increase the fees for certain H-1B and L-1 petitions. The agency plans to clarify that the 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee (9-11 Fee) applies to initial filings and to all extensions for employers with at least 50 employees of whom at least
US Immigration
Temporary Protected Status Extended for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sudan
USCIS announced that it is extending the validity of certain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries from El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan until March 9, 2025. Currently, most of these individuals are the beneficiaries of automatic extensions through June 30, 2024.
To implement these new extensions, USCIS is…
DHS Extends Temporary Protected Status for Haiti to Feb. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended and redesignated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti until Feb. 3, 2026.
According to DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the decision to renew and redesignate is based on the continued violence and insecurity in Haiti and limited access to safety, health care, food, and water in that…
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…
Rebrand for Homeland Security Investigations
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is “rebranding.” As part of its rebranding, it has relaunched its website to distance itself from the politics of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE remains the parent agency of HSI.
HSI investigates crimes on a global scale – nationally and internationally – to protect the U.S. public.
U.S. Southern Border Shut Down Temporarily to Asylum Applications
President Joe Biden has ordered a temporary suspension of asylum applications for migrants who cross the southern border illegally between ports of entry.
This suspension went into effect at midnight on June 5 because the number of illegal border crossings (or encounters) has reached the order’s threshold of 2,500 per day. If illegal encounters drop…
Reconsidering Repayment Agreements with Foreign Employees
It is not unusual for employers to require foreign employees to sign repayment agreements that require the employee to repay some or all required immigration process costs if the employee terminates employment before the end of the contract term. Employers often use the contracts as a deterrent to employees leaving as soon as the immigration…
CBP Proposes Changes to Arrival and Departure Record, ESTA Systems
Since 2004, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been working on improving the systems used to document the entries and exits of nonimmigrants to and from the United States. There is no comprehensive easy-to-use system in place to collect exit data, although there are ways to report departure that the CBP characterizes as burdensome…