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 […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Issues Final Guidance on When To File Amended or New H-1B Petitions After Matter of Simeio Solutions – In general, H-1B petitioners must file an amended or new petition before placing an H-1B employee at a new place of employment not covered by an existing, approved H-1B petition. 2. Obama Administration Moves Forward With […]
Headlines: 1. U.S. Supreme Court Decides Two Immigration Cases – The U.S. Supreme Court has decided two immigration cases with potentially far-reaching implications, Kerry v. Din and Mata v. Lynch. 2. Visa, Passport Computer Problems Mostly Resolved – Among other things, the problems caused delays at the U.S.-Mexico border with seasonal workers being unable […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Suspends Premium Processing Until July 27 for Extension of Stay H-1B Petitions; New Form In Effect – USCIS said this temporary suspension will allow the agency to implement its final rule on employment authorization for certain H-4 spouses in a timely manner. 2. USCIS Releases Revised I-765 Application for Employment Authorization –The revised […]
Headlines: 1. H-1B Premium Processing Has Begun – On April 27, 2015, USCIS began premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions requesting it, and for petitions seeking an exemption from the H-1B cap for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher. 2. Senators Seek Multi-Agency H-1B Program Investigation – The senators expressed concerns about U.S. […]
Headlines: 1. Reminder: File H-1B Petitions Early! – USCIS said it expects to receive more petitions than the H-1B cap during the first five business days of this year’s program, which began on April 1. 2. USCIS Updates L-1B ‘Specialized Knowledge’ Guidance – The memo provides guidance on how L-1B petitioners may demonstrate that an employee has […]
Headlines: 1. Court Blocks Expanded DACA, DAPA; Obama Administration Appeals – The blocked programs include an expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which had been set to start in February, and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), which was scheduled to begin in May. 2. DHS Extends […]
