Immigration Update – March 27, 2023

Headlines: April Visa Bulletin Shows Worldwide EB-4 Backlog of 5+ Years, EB-2 Retrogression – The EB-4 category, which includes special immigrant religious workers, now has a worldwide backlog of 5+ years. Also, the EB-2 final action dates for Rest of World, India, Mexico, and the Philippines have retrogressed several months to keep number use within […]

Immigration Update – March 20, 2023

Headlines: USCIS Issues Policy Alert on Evidence for Employers’ Ability to Pay Proffered Wage – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has updated its guidance to discuss in more detail various types of evidence and explain how it reviews all evidence relevant to the employer’s financial strength and the significance of its business activities. LPRs May […]

Immigration Update – March 13, 2023

Headlines: USCIS Releases New Guidance, Resources for International Entrepreneurs – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued comprehensive guidance on parole for international entrepreneurs, and new entrepreneur resources. DHS Extends and Redesignates Somalia for TPS, Announces Student Relief – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to publish a Federal Register notice extending and redesignating […]

Immigration Update – March 06, 2023

Headlines: USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for Second Half of FY 2023, Announces Filing Dates for Supplemental Visas – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received enough petitions to meet the H-2B cap for the second half of FY 2023. USCIS also announced the filing dates for supplemental H-2B visas for the remainder of FY […]

Immigration Update – February 27, 2023

Headlines: Biden Administration Proposes Controversial Rule on ‘Temporary’ Measures to Limit Asylum at Southwest Border – The Biden administration issued a new proposed rule that it called “temporary,” which introduces a “rebuttable presumption of asylum ineligibility for certain noncitizens who neither avail themselves of a lawful, safe, and orderly pathway to the United States nor […]

Immigration Update – February 22, 2023

Headlines: March Visa Bulletin Includes Updates on Visa Availability in Coming Months – The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for March 2023 includes updates on visa availability in various categories, including possible retrogressions in the coming months. E-Verify Recommends Timeframes to Resolve Certain Social Security Mismatches; Deadline is September 29, 2023 – E-Verify recommends that […]

Immigration Update – February 13, 2023

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 […]

Immigration Update – February 06, 2023

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 […]

Immigration Update – January 30, 2023

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 […]

Immigration Update – January 23, 2023

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 […]