Headlines: U.S. Implements VWP Changes in Response to Terrorism Concerns – Under the new “Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015,” travelers in several categories are no longer eligible to travel or be admitted to the United States under the VWP. USCIS Advises Employers To Identify Returning Workers Who Are Exempt […]
Headlines: DHS Revises Regs on H-1B1, E-3, CW-1 Nonimmigrants and Certain EB-1 Immigrants – DHS said the final rule does not impose any additional costs on employers, workers, or any governmental entity. Court Delays STEM OPT Ruling, Preserving Current STEM OPT Program – DHS persuaded the court that it was working diligently to evaluate more […]
Headlines: House Holds Oversight Hearings on USCIS, EOIR – Leon Rodriguez, USCIS Director, testified at the USCIS hearing. Juan Osuna, EOIR Director, testified at the EOIR hearing. Visa Bulletin Notes Statistics on Applicants in Limited Immigrant Categories for Consular Processing – The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for February 2016 notes that the National Visa […]
Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners, PLLC, formerly known as Cyrus D. Mehta & Associates, P.L.L.C., announces that David A. Isaacson and Cora-Ann V. Pestaina have become partners in the firm. David A. Isaacson’s practice includes a variety of family-based and employment-based applications for both nonimmigrant visas and permanent residence, as well as waivers, naturalization and […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule to Change Certain Employment-Based Visa Programs – USCIS seeks public comments on a proposed rule published on December 31, 2015, “Retention of EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 Immigrant Workers and Program Improvements Affecting High-Skilled Nonimmigrant Workers,” that would change certain aspects of employment-based visa programs. 2. […]
Headlines: USCIS Adds 16 Countries to H-2A/H-2B Visa Programs – The countries being added in January are Andorra, Belgium, Brunei, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, Singapore, Taiwan, and Timor-Leste. Moldova will no longer be designated as an eligible country to participate in the H-2B program because Moldova is not meeting […]
Headlines: 1. DHS Proposes Rule on Expanding F-1 STEM OPT – Among other things, the proposal would allow F-1 STEM students who have elected to pursue 12 months of OPT in the United States to extend the OPT period by 24 months. 2. Update on ‘Visagate’ Filing Date Fiasco: Temporary Restraining Order Denied – […]
Headlines 1. State Dept. Moves Many Filing Dates Back From Previously Released October Visa Bulletin; Lawsuit Filed – On September 24, 2015, the Department of State issued an update that supersedes the previously released October Visa Bulletin. By moving many filing dates back, the update radically changed the recently announced benefit offered by a revised […]
Headlines: 1. New L-1B Memo Addresses Some Issues, But Concerns Remain – Some practitioners expressed concerns that the memo still gives adjudicators broad discretion to issue RFEs and denials. 2. USCIS Discontinues Legacy E-Filing System – After the legacy system is decommissioned and before the new system is fully operational, applicants must use paper forms for several […]
