We are excited to report that the Diversity Visa (DV) annual lottery registration period is now open for fiscal year (FY) 2025!
Online registration opened yesterday, October 4, 2023, at noon EST and will remain open until Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at noon EST. Registration is free to all registrants (only one registration per person is allowed) and is accessible online at dvprogram.state.gov.
Highlights
Did you know?
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently announced the expansion of the myProgress online tool (formerly known as personalized processing times) to include Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and Form I-131, Application for Travel Document.
What is myProgress?
The myProgress online tool allows applicants to view personalized estimates for important milestones in their cases, including final decision-making on their cases, directly from their online USCIS accounts.
How do I use myProgress?
To take advantage of myProgress, you must sign up for an online USCIS account or log into an existing online account and select your pending application.
If you have electronically filed your application or linked one of the applicable forms to your online account using an online access code, you will see a myProgress tab for your application.
We are happy to report that the August Visa Bulletin has been released!
As we do every month, we share what you can expect to see in the upcoming month’s visa bulletin for family-sponsored and employment-based preference categories to help you prepare for your immigrant visa filing at a U.S. Consulate overseas, or your green card filing for those residing in the United States.
Highlights of the August 2023 Visa Bulletin
Employment Based Categories
Final Action cutoff dates – Retrogressions in August:
Family-sponsored categories
Dates for Filing cutoff dates – Advancements in August:
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The Department of State releases the visa bulletin on a monthly basis, which summarizes the availability of immigrant visa numbers for that particular month in the employment and family preference categories.
Adjustment of Status Filing Chart August 2023
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published guidance indicating that USCIS will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is earlier than the Final Action Dates listed in the State Department’s August 2023 Visa Bulletin.
For family-sponsored filings, USCIS will accept adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is earlier than the Dates for Filing listed in the State Department’s August 2023 Visa Bulletin.
You may also find the Adjustment of Status USCIS Filing Charts here:
August 2023 Visa Bulletin Dates for Filing Cutoff Dates
Employment-Based Categories
FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES
According to the Department of State’s August 2023 Visa Bulletin, the following Final Action cutoff dates will apply for employment-based categories, which will determine whether an adjustment of status application can be filed with USCIS in the month of August:
Readers of the July Visa Bulletin may have been surprised to learn that the final action date for the employment-based third preference category for nationals of India retrogressed by more than 3 years and 5 months from June 15, 2012 (in the June Visa Bulletin) to January 1, 2009 (in the July Visa Bulletin).
What is the Employment-Based Third Preference Category also known as EB-3?
The employment-based third preference category (or EB-3) is reserved for three types of subcategories of immigrants: skilled workers, professionals, or other workers. No matter the subcategory, immigrants must have an approved labor certification from the Department of Labor and a permanent full-time job offer from a U.S. employer.
What are the subcategories?
It’s that time of the month again. Time to share the latest trends and projections of the July Visa Bulletin!
To help you prepare for your upcoming immigrant visa or green card filing, in this blog post, we share what you can expect to see in the upcoming month’s visa bulletin for family-sponsored and employment-based preference categories.
Here are some of the highlights from the July 2023 Visa Bulletin
Employment-based categories
Family-sponsored categories
Dates for Filing cutoff dates – Advancements in July:
Final Action cutoff dates – Advancements in July:
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The Department of State releases the visa bulletin on a monthly basis, which summarizes the availability of immigrant visa numbers for that particular month in the employment and family preference categories.
Adjustment of Status Filing Chart July 2023
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not yet published guidance regarding the appropriate chart to use for adjustment of status filings in the month of July. Once the announcement is made, USCIS will indicate whether they will accept adjustment of status applications based on the Final Action Dates chart or the Dates for Filing chart. As soon as we have that information, we will provide it in this blog post.
You may also find the information here once it is published:
July 2023 Visa Bulletin Dates for Filing Cutoff Dates
Employment-Based Categories
FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES
According to the Department of State’s July 2023 Visa Bulletin, the following Final Action cutoff dates will apply for employment-based categories, which will determine whether an adjustment of status application can be filed with USCIS in July:
The Department of State raised eyebrows earlier this month when it released information that it will be reducing the waiting period for 221(G) “administrative processing,” in an effort to process visas more efficiently.
While this is welcome news, in practice it may not mean much. Consulates and Embassies have been notoriously secretive when it comes to 221(G) administrative processing and do not reveal the reason for a visa applicant being placed in administrative processing in the first place, nor the type of security checks that are being conducted.
What is 221(G) Administrative Processing?
First, let’s explain what administrative processing is. When an applicant visits a U.S. Consulate or Embassy overseas for their visa interview, there are only two possible outcomes that can occur at the conclusion of their interview. The Consular Officer may choose to either issue or “refuse” the visa. A refusal is not the same as a denial. It simply means that the visa applicant has not established his or her eligibility for the visa they are seeking for the time being, and the Consulate needs additional time or requires further information either from the visa applicant or another source to determine the applicant’s eligibility for the visa.
In most cases, visa applicants who have been “refused” will require further administrative processing.
How will I know if I have been placed in 221(G) administrative processing?
Visa applicants placed in administrative processing are often given what is called a “Notice of 221(G) Refusal” at the conclusion of their interview, which states that the visa application has been “refused” under section 221(G) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Notice should indicate whether additional administrative processing is required for your case, and whether any further action is required on your part, such as providing additional documentation or further information to process your visa.
However, in some cases visa applicants are not given such a Notice and will later discover that they have been placed in 221(G) administrative processing upon checking their visa status on the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) visa status check webpage.
It’s that time of the month again. The Department of State has released the May 2023 Visa Bulletin, giving you the latest updates on visa availability for family-sponsored and employment-based preference categories.
To help you prepare for your upcoming immigrant visa or green card filing, we share what you can expect to see in the upcoming month’s visa bulletin.
Here are some of the highlights from the May 2023 Visa Bulletin:
In this blog post, we share with you the latest news in the world of immigration.
Recently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has removed the 60-day rule for civil surgeon signatures on Form I-693 Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, also known as the immigration medical exam.
This form must be completed by a civil surgeon and submitted along with the applicant’s I-485 adjustment of status (green card) application with USCIS.
Green card applicants can now submit their Form I-693 medical examination for up to 2 years after the civil surgeon has signed the form.
Previously, green card applicants were required to have a civil surgeon sign Form I-693 within 60 days of submitting their green card application or risk its rejection with USCIS. The 60-day rule created much confusion among green card applicants and was an unnecessary obstacle to the green card process. Form I-693’s that were not signed within the 60-day period were issued Requests for Evidence (RFE) asking for a compliant Form I-693 signed within the requisite 60-day period.
Now that USCIS has eliminated the 60-day rule, applicants will have more time and flexibility to obtain their signed Form I-693 medical examination without worrying. This change will also decrease the green card backlogs, considering that less RFEs will be issued for deficient Form I-693’s given the 2-year validity period from the date of the civil surgeon’s signature.
In support of its new policy, USCIS has said, “While the 60-day rule was intended to enhance operational efficiency and reduce the need to request updated Forms I-693 from applicants, in practice these efficiencies have not been realized.”
For more information about this new update, please click here.
It is the end of an era. Yesterday, March 23, 2023, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is ending its COVID-19 flexibility policy, giving applicants and petitioners more time to respond to Requests for Evidence and Notices of Intent to Deny during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its last extension ended on March 23, 2023. That means that from this point forward, applicants and petitioners must respond to any notices or requests from USCIS, dated after March 23, by the deadlines listed in the notice or request. This includes:
Applicants who are filing Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, or Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings (Under Section 336 of the INA), regarding a decision dated after March 23, 2023, must comply with the deadlines stated on the form instructions.
In this blog post, we share with you new information provided by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Department of State Liaison Committee following a meeting with the National Visa Center (NVC) addressing some common issues of concern for immigrant visa applicants waiting for their visas to be processed at the NVC and immigrant visa scheduling at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad.
We provide a summary of the questions asked and responses from the Department of State down below. This discussion was part of a meeting with representatives from the Bureau of Consular Affairs, taking place on February 9, 2023.
NVC Statistics for Documentarily Complete Cases
Question: Can NVC confirm how many cases were completed in FY2022 compared with the 342,392 completed in FY2021?
Answer: Documentarily Complete cases (documents received, reviewed, and case entered into scheduling queue) by Fiscal Year:
Question: Can NVC confirm how many cases have been completed so far in FY 2023?
Answer: The number of immigrant visa cases determined to be documentarily complete by the National Visa Center thus far in fiscal year 2023 (as of 27 January 2023) is 140,084.
Question: What is the monthly volume of immigrant visa cases that the NVC processes?
Answer: On average, during FY 2022, NVC performed case creation for nearly 14,974 immigrant visa petitions, received 20,987 ELIS petitions from USCIS, and reviewed supporting forms and documents for another 72,337 immigrant visa cases per month.
Question: What is the monthly volume of nonimmigrant (fiancé) visa cases that the NVC processes?
Answer: On average, during FY 2022, NVC performed case creation for 1,138 l-129F petitions for Alien Fiancé(e)s per month.
Question: If a document is not considered acceptable, and the attorney re-submits the requested documents, on average, how long does the NVC take to review the new evidence?
Answer: When missing documentation is subsequently provided, it is reviewed in the order it was received. NVC processing times have dropped significantly in the past year. Applicants may refer to the NVC Timeframes page on travel.state.gov to track the current Document Review processing time. NVC Processing dates are updated weekly.
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