When Is The Best Time to Complete the I-485 Medicals? I-693 Medical Exam Validity Explained
Due to USCIS policy changes this content has been consolidated and updated - please check the consolidated and updated I-693 medical exam USCIS policy.
April 2023 Visa Bulletin – EB-2 and FB-2A Retrogression
The U.S. State Department has just released the April 2023 Visa Bulletin which is the seventh Visa Bulletin for the fiscal year. The headline in the upcoming month’s Visa Bulletin is the retrogression in EB-2 preference categories and the cutoff date [...]
USCIS Ends COVID-Related Flexibilities and Deadline Grace Periods
Today, March 23, 2023, is the end of the set of COVID-related flexibilities instituted at the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020. The end of these flexibilities means that there are no longer additional grace periods and automatic deadline extensions [...]
March 2023 Visa Bulletin – No Movement; Retrogression Expected
The U.S. State Department has just released the March 2023 Visa Bulletin which is the sixth Visa Bulletin for the fiscal year. The headline in the upcoming month’s Visa Bulletin is the lack of any notable movement in the cutoff dates [...]
Reentry Permit Timing Strategies and Considerations
U.S. permanent residents (green card holders) who spend extended period of time are likely (or should be) aware that the reentry permit is a document, issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) allowing its holder to remain outside of the U.S. for an extended period of time without causing their green card to be [...]
USCIS to Reinstate Policy Allowing Concurrent Approval of H-1B and H-4/EAD Applications
In a legal settlement USCIS has agreed to reinstate its procedure to “bundle” and review concurrently spouses’ H-4/EAD and L-2/EAD applications when such applications are filed concurrently with an underlying I-129 petition seeking H-1B (or L-1) for the [...]
February 2023 Visa Bulletin – No Notable Movement
The U.S. State Department has just released the February 2023 Visa Bulletin which is the fifth Visa Bulletin for the fiscal year. The headline in the upcoming month’s Visa Bulletin is the lack of any notable movement in the cutoff dates with [...]
Is It Better to Work Using H-4 EAD or H-1B?
Since the H-4 EAD rule became effective in May 2015, our office has assisted many eligible H-4 spouses secure work authorization under the H-4 EAD program. We continue to applaud USCIS’s efforts to allow certain H-4 spouses to apply for [...]
How to Increase the H-1B Cap Lottery Chances of Success This Year?
With the approaching H-1B cap filing season, one of the most common concerns we are hearing from both prospective H-1B employers and candidates is about the H-1B cap lottery and the fact that the random lottery does not provide a great chance of an H-1B application being selected for review. Our office has handled thousands [...]
Details of the New Public Charge Rule (Effective from December 23, 2022)
Starting December 23, 2022, a new Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility final rule is in effect (see the full USCIS policy alert). The final rule details how USCIS will apply the public charge ground of inadmissibility and [...]