USCIS backlogs have become a nightmare for many during the last few years. But now the government is holding the agency accountable for its inadequacies. As part of the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2022, USCIS was required to inform the government regarding how exactly it is planning to ramp up…
Articles Posted in EAD
GREEN CARD FILERS: USCIS to Start Sending Separate EAD and AP Approvals, Discontinuing EAD/AP Combo Card
We are happy to start this week with interesting new developments in the world of immigration law. As some of our readers may be aware, all green card applicants filing Form I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, are given the opportunity to file the Form I-765 Application…
BREAKING NEWS: Secretary Mayorkas Designates Ukrainians in the United States to Receive Temporary Protected Status for 18 Months
We have some breaking news for Ukrainian nationals. In a swift and unprecedented move, the Department of Homeland Security, today announced the designation of Ukraine to receive Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for an 18-month period. What is Temporary Protected Status? Established by the U.S. Congress in 1990, temporary protected status…
This Week in Immigration News: USCIS Updates its Guidelines to Increase Validity Period of Employment Authorization Documents for Certain Applicants, & H-1B FY 2023 Registration Reminders
Happy Valentine’s Day! Welcome back to Visalawyerblog. In this blog post, we share with you some important updates in the world of immigration. But first, we hope you are having a wonderful holiday spent with friends and loved ones. What’s New? USCIS Updates its Guidelines to Increase Validity Period of…
CBP Issuing Work-Authorized I-94s for E and L Spouses Effective January 31, 2022
In this blog post, we share great news for E and L dependent spouses! As we previously reported on our blog, pursuant to a new USCIS policy, E and L nonimmigrant dependent spouses are now considered employment authorized “incident to their status.” This means that upon admission and issuance of…
USCIS Updates Policy Guidelines: 2-Year EADs to be Issued for Asylees, Refugees, VAWA self-petitioners, and withholding of deportation or removal applicants, for EADs filed on or after February 7, 2022
This week brings positive immigration news indeed. We are happy to report that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has updated its policy guidelines regarding validity periods for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for asylees and refugees, noncitizens with withholding of deportation or removal, noncitizens with deferred action, parolees,…
DHS Issues Federal Notice Updating STEM Designated Degrees for Post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) Eligibility
More immigration news is coming your way. This week important updates have been released for F-1 students seeking post-completion Optional Practical Training in certain STEM-related fields of study. DHS Issues Advance Copy of STEM Designated Degree Program List for post-completion Optional Practical Training If you are an international student studying…
USCIS Announces Continued Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests Through March 26, 2022
Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! In this post, we share with you an exciting new update from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that will provide relief to those who have received a Request for Evidence, Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID), or such similar request. USCIS RFE/NOID Flexibility…
USCIS Policy Manual Updates Automatic Employment Authorization Policy for Dependent Spouses in E, L, Status, and Certain H-4 Visa Dependent Spouses
We are happy to deliver some amazing news for H-4, E, and L dependent spouses! On November 12, 2021, following a settlement agreement known as Shergill v. Mayorkas, the United States Citizenship, and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new Policy Memorandum (Policy Alert PA-2021-25) outlining that the agency will automatically…
BREAKING: Biden Administration Settles Class-Action Lawsuit Allowing L-2 and H-4 Spouses to Work Incident to Status
In this blog post we share amazing news with our readers regarding the settlement of a recent class-action lawsuit filed against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The agreement reached under the settlement will immediately allow for automatic renewals of employment authorization for: L-2 spouses of L-1 nonimmigrants and qualifying…