UK Home Office Proposes Increased Visa Fees
On January 16, 2025, the UK Home Office proposed changes to Parliament that would increase the maximum fee that can be charged on a range of immigration and nationality
Read More »Alert: USCIS Updates Policy Manual Guidance on EB-2 National Interest Waivers (NIW)
On Jan. 15, 2025, USCIS issued guidance in the Policy Manual, Vol. 6, Part F, Ch. 5, to clarify how USCIS evaluates evidence to determine eligibility for Employment-Based
Read More »Canada Announces Changes to Open Work Permits for Family Members of Temporary Residents
The government of Canada announced on January 14, 2025, that it will be restricting Open Work Permit (OWP) eligibility for dependents of foreign workers. As of January 21,
Read More »Revised Form I-129 Effective January 17, 2025
The Department of Homeland Security’s H-1B final rule and H-2 final rule take effect on January 17, 2025, modernizing and improving requirements for the H-1B
Read More »USCIS Reached Cap for Additional Returning Worker H-2B Visas for the First Half of FY 2025
USCIS has received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 20,716 H-2B visas made available for returning workers for the first half of fiscal year 2025 with
Read More »Norway Changes Income Requirements for Family Immigration Cases
Effective February 1, 2025, Norway’s income requirement for the reference person in family immigration cases increases from 2.7 basic amounts (G) to 3.2 G. The change
Read More »Hong Kong Visit Visa Rules Relaxed for Saudi Arabia
Effective January 15, 2025, the visa-free period for nationals of Saudi Arabia to visit the Hong Kong SAR is extended to 90 days. Also from January 15, 2025, Hong Kong
Read More »UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme for Hong Kong SAR and Taiwanese Youth to Open in February
The first ballot of the 2025 Youth Mobility Scheme opens from 12:01am on Tuesday February 4, 2025, and closes at 12:01am on Thursday February 6, 2025. Applicants for the
Read More »February 2025 Visa Bulletin Released
In the February 2025 Visa Bulletin, Final Action Dates for Worldwide (All Other) remain unchanged for EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3. Final Action Dates for India in EB-1 remain
Read More »Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) to Process All Irish Residence Permissions
Nationals from outside the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland, who come to Ireland to work, study, live or join family for more than 90 days, must register an immigration permission
Read More »DHS and DOS Designate Romania into the United States’ Visa Waiver Program
On January 10, 2025, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of State (DOS) designated Romania as a participating country in the Visa Waiver
Read More »DHS Extends Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela
The Department of Homeland Security announced on January 10, 2025, the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela for 18 months. The extension of TPS is due
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