The Department of Homeland Security has just released the final rule that significantly changes the USCIS fee schedule, including adding new fees, establishing multiple fees for nonimmigrant worker petitions and increasing the premium processing time limit. The rule and the new fees [...]
Update August 26, 2020: USCIS has called off the scheduled furlough. See update. Update July 24, 2020: USCIS has announced that they have agreed to delay the start of the staff furlough until August 31st (from August 3) due to funding estimates showing surplus for the fiscal year and not the previously-projected $571 million deficit. [...]
Many of our clients and readers have recently experienced delays in production of Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) cards (also "green cards") or Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and many have attributed these delays to the COVID-19 closures. There is another reason having to do with vendor and staffing issues at USCIS. Green Card/EAD Production Vendor Contract [...]
The U.S. State Department has just released the August 2020 Visa Bulletin which is the eleventh Visa Bulletin for the FY2020 fiscal year. The headline in the upcoming month’s Visa Bulletin is the continuing significant forward [...]
The Coronavirus/COVID-19 closures and travel disruptions have created many challenges in everyone's life, including for many U.S. green card holders who are stuck outside of the U.S. for a considerable period of time which poses a significant risk to the maintenance of the lawful permanent resident status. This article discusses the issues and some options [...]
In an executive order dated Monday, June 22, 2020, President Trump has temporarily barred certain work visa holders from entering the U.S. The restriction becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. EDT on June 24, 2020, will expire on December 31, 2020 (unless renewed), and will ban certain H, J and L work visa holders from entering [...]
The U.S. State Department has just released the July 2020 Visa Bulletin which is the tenth Visa Bulletin for the FY2020 fiscal year. The headline in the upcoming month’s Visa Bulletin is the continuing significant forward movement in EB-1 India together [...]
Our office does not normally react to or otherwise speculate on or encourage rumors - as there have been many as far as immigration is concerned over the past years and especially over the recent months. But we feel compelled to share what we hearing from Washington with respect to some possible upcoming restrictions on [...]
After a 2.5-month closure, USCIS has announced that they are in the process of reinstating public services at USCIS field offices and ASC biometrics facilities. It is expected that most field offices and application support centers (ASC) will begin reopening on or shortly after June 4th. There will be fewer appointments and health and safety [...]
USCIS has announced that starting June 1, 2020 they are beginning a gradual reinstatement of I-907 premium processing services (see our March 20th alert on the sudden premium processing suspension). Initially, eligible I-140 petitions will be able to file or upgrade to premium processing, followed by gradual H-1B premium processing reinstatement after June 8th. H-1B cap cases [...]
