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…
In the nick of time, on December 21, 2023, the Department of State announced that it will continue its interview waiver policy for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants. The agency’s interview waiver policy was previously set to expire on December 31, 2023. However, its implementation will continue starting on January 1,…
The rumors are true. For the first time in nearly two decades, the Department of State (DOS) will process domestic visa renewals for certain H-1B visa applicants without requiring them to leave the United States. This is all part of a new pilot program starting January 29, 2024, through April…
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…
Did you know that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched a new online change of address self-service tool? This new tool known as “Enterprise Change of Address” (E-COA) is a one-stop shop where most individuals with a USCIS online account can update their mailing and physical address…
A new family reunification parole process has been launched, this time for qualifying nationals of Ecuador. Who is eligible? Nationals of Ecuador petitioned by family members who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and who have received approval on Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, to join their family…
It’s official. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed that it will be increasing the validity period of work permits also known as Employment Authorization Documents (EADS) to 5 years, for certain categories of noncitizens who are employment authorized incident to their immigration status and those who must…
We kick off the week with a brand-new update from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for those applying to extend or change their nonimmigrant status using Form I-539. The agency has announced that it will be exempting all I-539 applicants from paying the biometrics service fee of $85…
On September 20, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a fact sheet unveiling new actions to cut down the processing time of work authorizations filed by certain asylum seekers. Starting October 1, 2023, USCIS will speed up the processing of Form I-765 Applications for Employment Authorization, (also known…
Source: Flickr: Molly Adams, LA March for Immigrant Rights In a stunning turn of events, a federal judge on Wednesday declared the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program illegal in a new court ruling. The decision comes after a five-year long court battle which has left the future of…