April 15, 2021
In a press release released on Monday, the White House announced President Joe Biden's nominations for key leadership roles in the Department of Homeland Security. Biden nominated Chris Magnus, the current police chief in Tucson, Arizona (with previous service in Lansing, MI, Fargo, ND, and Richmond, ...
April 9, 2021
On Thursday, a panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco voted 2-1 to refuse 14 Republican-led states that were trying to revive the Trump administration's "Public Charge" rule. As previously reported, in early March, the Biden administration announced it would ...
March 30, 2021
On Tuesday, March 30, USCIS announced it had received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2022 H-1B allocations (H-1B cap) including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap). The random selection window ran from March 25 - March ...
March 25, 2021
In a continued response to COVID-19, USCIS has extended the deadline flexibility for individuals responding to certain: Requests for Evidence; Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14); Notices of Intent to Deny; Notices of Intent to Revoke; Notices of Intent to Rescind; Notices of Intent to Terminate ...
March 20, 2021
DHS has withdrawn its proposed 'Affidavit of Support' rule. The withdrawal from the rule is consistent with DHS’s stated commitment to reduce barriers within the legal immigration system. DHS found the Affidavit of Support rule placed increased burdens on American families wishing to sponsor individuals ...
March 19, 2021
On Thursday, the House approved two significant bills that provide a path to citizenship for millions of people living in the United States. The American Dream and Promise Act, which passed with a 228-197 vote, grants lawful permanent residency for millions of Dreamers if they pass ...
March 19, 2021
The Department of Homeland Security published a Federal Register notice (FRN) extending and re-designating Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, effective March 31, 2021, through September 30, 2022. The extension allows approximately 6,700 current beneficiaries to re-register and retain TPS through September ...
March 18, 2021
Proposed Changes The Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed delaying the effective date of the rule ‘Strengthening Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Aliens in the United States by 18 months. This prevailing wage rule was put forward in the final weeks of the Trump administration. As ...
March 17, 2021
On Friday, March 12, USCIS announced they may reopen H-1B petitions denied under three rescinded policy memos. If a denial decision was based on one or more of the rescinded policies listed: “Determining Employer-Employee Relationship for Adjudication of H-1B Petitions, Including Third-Party Site Placements” issued, ...
March 16, 2021
The Department of Homeland Security has temporarily expanded the ability of consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa in the same classification. This change will allow consular officers to continue processing certain nonimmigrant visa applications while limiting the ...
March 13, 2021
On Friday, March 12, Secretary Mayorkas designated Burma for temporary protected status for 18 months. Only individuals who are already residing in the United States are eligible for TPS. Individuals who can demonstrate continuous residence in the United States as of March 11, 2021, are ...
March 12, 2021
The U.S. Department of State released the April 2021 Visa Bulletin. PLEASE NOTE: At this time, the USCIS has not indicated whether it will be using Chart A or Chart B for April 2021. For more information, please visit the USCIS website. FINAL ACTION DATES (Chart A): The employment-based categories in the Final Action Dates ...
March 10, 2021
The Biden administration will not defend the widely opposed Public Charge rule that made it more difficult for immigrants who rely on, or who would rely on, public assistance to enter or gain legal status in the United States. The Trump administration introduced the Public Charge rule ...
March 9, 2021
On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security extended temporary protected status, TPS, to Venezuelan citizens living in the US. The 18-months of deportation relief is an extension of the short-term protections from the Trump administration. "The living conditions in Venezuela reveal a country in turmoil, unable ...
March 1, 2021
On March 1, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will reinstate the 2008 version of the naturalization civics test. As part of President Biden's EO on "Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems," the 2008 test makes the naturalization process more accessible to all applicants. The ...
February 25, 2021
The U.S. Department of State released the March 2021 Visa Bulletin. The USCIS has indicated that it will accept adjustment of status applications pursuant to Final Action Dates (Chart A) for March 2021. For more information, please visit the USCIS website. FINAL ACTION DATES (Chart A): The most significant movement forward is reported in the Final Action Dates for employment-based visa ...
February 24, 2021
From USCIS: Starting Feb. 24, 2021, petitioners filing Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, requesting a change or extension of status to E-3 classification will have the option to request premium processing service for their petition. The E-3 classification applies only to nationals of Australia who ...
February 19, 2021
On Thursday, House Democrats introduced the “U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021,” a legislative package that follows through on President Joe Biden’s campaign promises and a proclamation from his first days in office. The centerpiece of the bill is the earned path to citizenship for the 11 ...
February 12, 2021
The State Department announced yesterday, February 11, 2021, that international students holding valid F-1 or M-1 visas would be granted national interest exemptions to President Biden's presidential proclamation on January 25, which suspended entry for travelers coming directly from Europe, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and ...
February 5, 2021
On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it would not be applying the H-1B Selection final rule introduced on January 7 by the Trump Administration to the upcoming H-1B registration period, which begins in March. The Trump administration’s rule, set to go into effect ...
January 26, 2021
With our mission to uncomplicate the complicated, we’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first. Our goal is for these updates to make sense of the changes happening across the world. Please share these updates with your colleagues who may find this information ...
January 22, 2021
The U.S. Department of State released the February 2021 Visa Bulletin. The USCIS has indicated that it will accept adjustment of status applications pursuant to Final Action Dates (Chart A) for February 2021. For more information, please visit the USCIS website. FINAL ACTION DATES (Chart A): The employment-based categories in the Final Action Dates (Chart A) remained largely ...
January 22, 2021
With our mission to uncomplicate the complicated, we’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first. Our goal is for these updates to make sense of the changes happening across the world. Please share these updates with your colleagues who may find this information ...
January 22, 2021
On Thursday, January 21, President Joseph R. Biden signed “Executive Order on Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel.” The executive order outlines measures to prevent the ongoing spread of COVID-19, particularly as it relates to travel within the United States and to the United ...
January 20, 2021
On Monday night, the Biden transition team announced that President-elect Joe Biden would introduce a significant immigration legislative package on his first day in office, Wednesday, January 20, 2021. According to reports from within the transition team, President-elect Biden's multi-faceted plan includes the following: Legal Immigration ...
January 13, 2021
With our mission to uncomplicate the complicated, we’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first. Our goal is for these updates to make sense of the changes happening across the world. Please share these updates with your colleagues who may find this information ...
January 12, 2021
The US Labor Department announced a new final rule on Tuesday that would raise the wage requirements for foreign nationals with high-skilled worker visas. DOL's new final rule follows earlier attempts to raise the prevailing wage rates. As recently as December 2020, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. ...
January 8, 2021
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will publish a Final Rule on January 8, 2021, to select H-1B cap-subject registrations based on the highest corresponding Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) wage levels. Summary On January 8, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is scheduled to publish a Final ...
December 28, 2020
On Wednesday, December 23, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) extended the flexibility of the requirements for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility due to ongoing COVID-19 precautions. The temporary requirement flexibility has been extended to January 31, 2021. The requirements ...
December 8, 2020
With our mission to uncomplicate the complicated, we’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first. Our goal is for these updates to make sense of the changes happening across the world. Please share these updates with your colleagues who may find this information ...