The fallout of the 2024 Presidential election has left high-skilled foreign workers asking what the Trump administration may have in store for them in the new year. Perhaps the most vulnerable to attack is the H-1B work visa program, which was previously targeted by the Trump administration. A second term…
We are pleased to report that today the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the December Visa Bulletin. Unfortunately, the December Visa Bulletin brings almost no movement. USCIS Adjustment of Status For employment-based and family-sponsored preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use…
On October 11, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released updated guidance for requests to expedite travel-related documents and expedite requests relating to government interests. The guidance is effective immediately. Who may file an expedite request? Individuals who are located inside the United States may request that USCIS…
On May 13, 2024, the State Department announced record breaking milestones including the issuance of a whopping 5.2 million nonimmigrant visas at U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide in the first half of fiscal year 2024 – more than any previous year over the same period. In the past six months…
If your case remains pending with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) beyond the posted processing times for your immigration benefit request, you may consider requesting assistance from the Ombudsman’s Office. What is the USCIS Ombudsman? The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) helps individuals and employers…
In this blog post, we cover the newly released Immigrant Visa Backlog Report published by the Department of State. April’s report provides the latest data and statistics relating to the processing of immigrant visa applications at the National Visa Center. This data includes information about the number of documentarily complete…
Without any prior notice, the U.S. government has started requiring immigrants without passports, to submit to facial recognition technology in order to board domestic flights in the United States. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently confirmed this policy change, stating that migrants who do not have the proper photo identification,…
Recently, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) requested an update from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding the delayed adjudication of Form I-829 petitions filed by EB-5 investors seeking to remove their conditions on permanent residence. AILA suggested two alternatives for providing evidence of continued lawful permanent residence…
Did you know? The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently announced the expansion of the myProgress online tool (formerly known as personalized processing times) to include Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and Form I-131, Application for Travel Document. What is myProgress? The myProgress online tool allows applicants to view personalized estimates…
In this blog post, we cover the release of the November Visa Bulletin 2022 and what you can expect for employment based and family preference categories during the upcoming month of November. The Department of State releases the visa bulletin on a monthly basis, which summarizes the availability of immigrant visa numbers for…