Earlier this week, the United States Supreme Court handed down a controversial decision upholding the President’s latest travel ban in the case Trump, President of the United States, Et Al. v. Hawaii Et Al. The 5-4 decision reflected a deeply divided court, but ultimately the conservative justices on the court…
Articles Posted in Nonimmigrant Visas
USCIS Revises Accrual of Unlawful Presence for F, J, and M Non-immigrants
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a new policy memorandum that may soon change the way the accrual of unlawful presence is calculated for individuals currently in the United States on an F, J, or M non-immigrant visa type, as well as their dependents accompanying them…
The Latest In Immigration News: TPS Designation for Nepal Terminated, L Pilot Program Kicks Off
TPS Blunders: DHS Announces Termination of TPS Designation for Nepal, with a Delayed Effective Date of 12 months The Department of Homeland Security has formally decided to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for the country of Nepal. According to a statement released by the Department of Homeland Security,…
USCIS and CBP Announce 6-Month Pilot Program for Canadian L-1 Applicants
Beginning April 30, 2018 until October 31, 2018, the California Service Center (CSC) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Blaine, Washington, Port of Entry (POE) will implement a joint 6-month pilot program for the benefit of Canadian citizens seeking entry to the United States in L…
H-1B Blunders: USCIS Announces Suspension of Premium Processing for FY 2019 H-1B Cap Subject Petitions, A Word of Warning
In what seems like déjà vu, today, March 20, 2018 the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) formally announced that the agency will be temporarily suspending premium processing service for all fiscal year 2019 cap-subject petitions, including petitions that seek an exemption for individuals who possess a U.S. master’s…
How to Avoid Dreaded H-1B Requests for Evidence and Increase Chances of Approval
Tis the season to file for one of the most popular visa types: The H-1B visa. Filings for cap-subject petitions will begin to be accepted by USCIS beginning April 2nd and the filing period will end on April 6, 2018. As many of you know, the odds of being selected…
Proposal to Amend H-4 EAD Rule Delayed Until June 2018
During December of last year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced that the agency was beginning to take preliminary steps to terminate H-4 Employment Authorization for certain H-4 spouses, a privilege that has been available to eligible spouses of H-1B nonimmigrant workers since 2015. As it stands,…
U.S. Embassies Resume Non-Immigrant Visa Services in Turkey
As previously reported, on October 8, 2017, the United States announced the suspension of all non-immigrant visa services across U.S. Embassies and Consulates in Turkey “until further notice,” following news that a U.S. embassy official was placed under arrest without explanation and without access to counsel. This included the suspension…
USCIS Introduces New Policies to Toughen the renewal process for H-1B visas, and other work visas
Unsurprisingly, this week we learned that the Trump administration is taking further steps to toughen the process of applying for an H-1B visa extension/renewal request, and that of other highly sought-after non-immigrant work visa types filed using Form I-129 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker such as the H, O, P, L,…
Federal Judge Strikes Down Travel Ban 3.0, Leaving N. Korea and Venezuela In the Dark
Just one day before Presidential Proclamation No. 9645, “Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats,” was set to go into effect, a federal judge in Hawaii issued a ruling blocking portions of the Presidential Proclamation from being enforced…