Insight, News, and Strategy on Immigration Matters Around the World
New travel authorization systems are being postponed again in the United States and in Europe: REAL ID until May 7, 2025, and ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) until 2024.
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended the deadline for REAL ID until May 3, 2023. As…
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a one-year extension of parole for certain Ukrainian nationals who, after the Russian invasion, were paroled into the United States for a period of one year before the two-year parole became available under the Uniting for Ukraine (UFU) program.
On a case-by-case basis, DHS will consider the extension…
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…
U.S. passport renewals are taking longer. Applying for renewals well in advance of travel abroad may be particularly important if you also need a visa in the new passport.
Moreover, many countries require that your passport be valid for at least 3 months, or even 6 months, beyond the period of your intended stay abroad.
With migrant “encounters” at the southern border much in the news, the Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Swanton Sector along the northern border has recorded encounters increasing at a rate never seen before.
The Swanton Sector encompasses 24,000 square miles at the northern border. The sector includes the entire state of Vermont, six upstate…
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…
Passport stamps used to be treasured mementos for some travelers, but they are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Instead, biometrics and electronic entry systems are being deployed. But that is not the only thing that is changing. Now, in many countries, e-Gates may take the place of customs officers.
E-Gates automate border control…
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to an en banc rehearing in Ramos v. Mayorkas, potentially further extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for tens of thousands of individuals with current status from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan who have been in limbo waiting on a final ruling in the this…
For the first time in almost 20 years, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) may resume issuing nonimmigrant visas within the United States later this year. Reports indicate that a pilot program will allow stateside renewal of H-1B and L-1 visas.
The Department of Homeland Security has exclusive jurisdiction within the United States over the…
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…
