Headlines: State Dept. Plans Pilot to Allow Visa Renewals in United States for H and L Workers – The Department of State plans to launch a pilot program later this year to allow visa renewals in the United States for H and L nonimmigrant workers. 41K+ Individuals Denied Visas Under Trump-Era Travel Ban Can Reapply […]
Headlines: USCIS Reaches Cap for H-2B Additional Returning Worker Visas for First Half of FY 2023 – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 18,216 H-2B visas made available for returning workers for the first half of fiscal year 2023 with start dates on or before […]
Headlines: Initial Registration for FY 2024 H-1B Cap Opens March 1 – The initial registration period will run through noon ET on March 17, 2023. Certain Asylum Applicants Can Now Apply for Work Authorization Online – Applicants for employment authorization under category (c)(8), Pending Asylum and Withholding of Removal Applicants and Applicants for Pending Asylum […]
Headlines: Visa Bulletin for February 2023 Includes Retrogressions in the Employment Third Preference ‘Other Workers’ Category, and ‘Certain Religious Workers’ Availability – The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for February 2023 has been released. HHS Issues Poverty Guidelines for 2023 – The Department of Health and Human Services issued updated poverty income guidelines for 2023 […]
Headlines: DHS Streamlines Deferred Action Process for Immigrant Workers Participating in Labor Enforcement Investigations – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on January 13, 2023, that noncitizen workers who are victims of or witnesses to a violation of labor rights can now access a streamlined and expedited deferred action request process. Premium Processing To […]
Headlines: USCIS Issues Proposed Rule to Raise Fees and Fund Asylum Program With New $600 Employer Petition Fee – The Department of Homeland Security also proposes to fund the asylum program with a controversial new Asylum Program Fee of $600 to be paid by employers. DHS Implements New Processes for Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans and […]
Headlines: Supreme Court Extends Temporary Stay of ‘Title 42’ – The Court plans to consider in late February 2023 whether the 19 states objecting to Title 42 have legal standing to do so. Visa Bulletin for January 2023 Reports on Availability in the Employment First Category for China and India, Unavailability of Religious Workers Category […]
Headlines: Chief Justice Roberts Issues Temporary Stay of ‘Title 42’; Thousands Wait in Mexico – Chief Justice Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a temporary stay of Title 42 to allow the Supreme Court time to consider the issue. DHS Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility Final Rule Effective December 23 – For public […]
Headlines: USCIS Increases H-2B Nonimmigrant Visa Availability – A new rule increases the total number of noncitizens who may receive an H-2B nonimmigrant visa by up to 64,716 for fiscal year 2023. DHS Issues Update on Southwest Border Security and Preparedness Under Court-Ordered Lifting of ‘Title 42’; Termination of ‘Remain in Mexico’ Program Paused – […]
Headlines: USCIS Announces ‘Important’ H-2B Supplemental Cap Petition Filing Updates Before Publication of Temporary Final Rule – In response to a federal court order, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification plans to rescind H-2B registration requirements and propose conforming edits throughout its H-2B regulations. In the interim, DOL said it will […]
