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…
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May 2024 Visa Bulletin: Family-Sponsored Categories Show Major Advancement, Employment-Based Categories Unchanged from Previous Month
The long-awaited May 2024 Visa Bulletin has arrived! If you’d like to know all about the projected movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the month of May, we’ve got you covered. Highlights of the May 2024 Visa Bulletin Dates for Filing Chart For the family-sponsored preference categories, the Dates for Filing Chart…
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,…
Immigration Reminders: Premium Processing Fee Increases Starting Today February 26, 2024 & E-Verify+ Pilot Coming This Spring
As a reminder to our readers, today Monday, February 26, 2024, a new premium processing fee will go into effect for Form I-907 Request for Premium Processing, for those filing premium processing service for the following applications: Form I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker Form I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien…
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…
USCIS Announces Increase in Filing Fees Effective April 1, 2024
On January 30, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule in the Federal Register making significant fee increases for various immigration applications and benefit requests. This fee increase will be the first major adjustment in the filing fees since 2016. The increase is meant to address…
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…
Your Guide to the February 2024 Visa Bulletin
The February 2024 Visa Bulletin was recently published by the Department of State. While the Dates for Filing Chart remains unchanged from the previous month, the Final Action Dates Chart shows some modest advancements in some of the employment-based preference categories, specifically EB-1 worldwide continues to be current, EB-2 Worldwide will…
USCIS Updates Policy Guidance Clarifying “Ability to Pay” Requirement when EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 Green Card Applicants Change Employers
On January 5, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released updated policy guidance describing how the agency analyzes an employer’s ability to pay the offered wage to prospective employees with employment-based immigrant petitions requiring a job offer, filed with USCIS under the first, second, and third preference categories,…
USCIS Announces Increase in Premium Processing Filing Fees Starting February 26, 2024
As the new year approaches, we have some unfortunate news to report for certain employment-based applicants who may wish to file their petitions with premium processing service in 2024, including those filing: Form I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker Form I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, as well as Certain…