This week we bring you new updates regarding the I-693 medical examination. On April 4, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that any Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that was properly completed and signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1,…
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USCIS to Publish Temporary Final Rule Proposing to Increase the Automatic Extension of EADs up to 540 days to Reduce Workforce Interruptions
We are pleased to announce that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will soon publish a new temporary final rule in the federal register aimed at streamlining the processing of renewal applications for Employment Authorization Documents (also known as EADs) and increasing the automatic extension period of EADs. What…
Immigrants Without Passports Now Required to Undergo Facial Recognition Technology to Board Domestic Flights in the United States
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,…
April 2024 Visa Bulletin: Employment-Based Final Action Dates Advance and Family-Sponsored Categories Show Slight Progress
The Department of State has published the April 2024 Visa Bulletin, bringing significant advancements in the final action dates for most employment-based categories, and modest advancement for the family-sponsored categories when compared to the previous month. Highlights of the April 2024 Visa Bulletin Dates for Filing Chart For the family-sponsored preference categories,…
Uniting for Ukraine: Eligible Ukrainians May Now Apply for Re-Parole
Great news! The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that eligible beneficiaries of the Uniting for Ukraine program, may apply to renew their parole and employment authorization starting February 27, 2024. Who is eligible? Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who were paroled into the United States…
The March 2024 Visa Bulletin: What You Can Expect
The March 2024 Visa Bulletin is finally here, and with it we have big advancements in the family sponsored preference categories, and minor advancements in the employment-based categories. Highlights of the March 2024 Visa Bulletin Dates for Filing Chart The Dates for Filing Chart remains unchanged from the previous month, for both…
Visa Bulletin Outlook: Looking Ahead at Possible Movement in 2024
In this blog post, we provide new insights recently shared by Charlie Oppenheim, the former Chief of Immigrant Visa Control and Reporting at the U.S. Department of State, who oversaw the monthly publication of the Visa Bulletin until his retirement in 2022. In a recent Chatting with Charlie webinar, he…
U.S. Citizenship Applications Rebound in Fiscal Year 2023 to Pre Pandemic Levels
According to recent data released by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), applications for U.S. Citizenship surpassed pre-pandemic levels in fiscal year 2023, welcoming 878,500 new citizens from all over the world. To be eligible for naturalization, applicants must meet certain eligibility requirements set forth in the Immigration and Nationality…
New Year, Big Victories in Worldwide Visa Operations
The past year saw big victories for worldwide visa operations. The Department of State recently provided statistics summarizing its visa processing capacity in the year 2023. The recent data shows tremendous advancement in visa processing capacity at Consular posts globally and provides a strong outlook for visa processing in the…
New USCIS Policy Guidance Provides Relief for Certain Applicants Filing I-751 Removal of Conditions
If you are a family-based conditional permanent resident who was issued a two-year green card based on your marriage to a U.S. Citizen, then you may be interested to know that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently updated its policy guidance for Form I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions…