USCIS Increasing Premium Processing Fee to $1,410
Update: USCIS has announced it is increasing the premium processing fee for Forms I-129 and I-140 to $1,410 as of Monday, October 1, 2018. Context: This is the first
Read More »USCIS Extends and Expands Suspension of Premium Processing for H-1B Petitions
Changes are part of an effort to reduce processing times for other long-delayed applications. Update: Today, USCIS announced that it is extending the temporary suspension of
Read More »The United States Reaches a New Trade Deal with Mexico
Immigration not part of the discussion. No immediate changes to immigration expected. Update: President Donald Trump announced in a press conference on Monday that the
Read More »USCIS Edging Closer to the Elimination of H-4 EADs
Recent court filing indicates USCIS still moving forward with revising regulations Update: Yesterday, within the context of ongoing litigation over H-4 EADs in the U.S.
Read More »HS Clarifies STEM OPT Rules
New information on reporting obligations and outside training. Update: The DHS is making a concerted effort to clarify compliance requirements for those working on Optional
Read More »EB-1 Retrogression Expected to Last Longer Than Normal This Year
Backlog may continue into December. Update: This week, the Department of State (DOS) released the September 2018 visa bulletin. As reported in our monthly Visa Bulletin
Read More »September 2018 Visa Bulletin Released
The U.S. Department of State has released the September 2018 Visa Bulletin. As the fiscal year 2018 comes to a close, next month’s visa bulletin announces significant
Read More »Skilling Australian Fund Bill Takes Effect August 12, 2018
A new phase of Australia’s immigration reforms to be implemented on Sunday. Update: The Australian Government’s recent migration amendments, which includes new
Read More »USCIS Policy on NTA Issuance Delayed
Update: On Monday, USCIS delayed the implementation of the June 28, 2018 policy memorandum concerning the issuance of “Notices to Appear”. The new policy was due to
Read More »House Appropriations Committee Approves Bi-Partisan Bill Aimed at Reducing Green Card Backlogs
Tied to funding for other key immigration initiatives, the bill has a chance of success. Update: On Wednesday, an immigration proposal Forbes called “The Most
Read More »Bloomberg BNA White Paper: USCIS Delivers One-Two Punch With New Policy Guidance
Bloomberg White Paper – Xavier Francis On July 13, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum that will give
Read More »New USCIS Memo Lowers the Bar for Case Denials
USCIS Officers will have full discretion to deny applications and petitions without first issuing a Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny Update: Currently,
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