Eligible Ukrainians and their immediate family members who are physically present in the United States can now apply for re-parole, effective February 27, 2024. This allows them to temporarily remain in the U.S. and potentially extend…
USCIS has issued a final rule adjusting immigration and naturalization benefit request fees for the first time since 2016. The new fee structure affects various immigration forms and petitions. This is the agency's most significant fee…
USCIS is implementing a new fee payment process allowing most applicants, petitioners, and their representatives to pay for certain benefit request forms by mail or remotely instead of in person at field offices. This change reduces the…
Secretary Mayorkas announced the extension and redesignation of Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) through September 30, 2025. Syrian nationals currently under TPS can maintain their status for 18 additional months due to ongoing…
USCIS updated its policy manual to allow discretionary excusal of late filings for extension of stay and change of status requests when delays result from extraordinary circumstances beyond the applicant's control. This provides relief to…
USCIS has received enough H-2B petitions to hit the cap for an additional 20,716 visas available to returning workers in the first half of fiscal year 2024. These visas are for workers with employment start dates on or before March 31,…
USCIS is launching new organizational accounts and online collaboration tools to improve the H-1B cap registration process. The changes are designed to increase efficiency and make it easier for employers and their immigration attorneys to…
USCIS issued new guidance on how employers must demonstrate they can pay the offered wage in employment-based green card cases, particularly when a sponsored worker changes employers during the adjustment of status process. The guidance…
USCIS is changing where employers must file Form I-907 (Request for Premium Processing) for pending I-140 petitions, effective December 15. Instead of sending these forms to service centers, employers will now file them at appropriate…
USCIS has reached the fiscal year 2024 H-1B visa cap, receiving enough petitions to fill the congressionally mandated 65,000 regular cap positions and the 20,000 master's degree exemption cap. No additional H-1B petitions will be accepted…
The Department of Homeland Security has extended the re-registration periods for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for six countries: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan. TPS holders in these countries now have…
USCIS has updated its Policy Manual with new guidance on family-based conditional permanent residence, focusing on Form I-751 petitions used to remove conditions on residence. The update consolidates eligibility, filing, and adjudication…
USCIS's Tampa Asylum Office is relocating to a new location. The move affects asylum applicants and their representatives in the Tampa jurisdiction. Details on the new address and any service disruptions should be confirmed with USCIS.
USCIS has expanded its myProgress tool to help applicants track processing times for Form I-485 (green card adjustment) and Form I-821 (TPS applications). The tool initially applies to family-based and Afghan special immigrant I-485 cases.…
DHS and DOL have released an additional 64,716 H-2B visas for fiscal year 2024, supplementing the standard 66,000-visa cap. This temporary final rule expands the available pool of temporary nonagricultural worker visas for employers. The…
Starting November 13, USCIS is moving the filing location for Form I-907 (Premium Processing requests) submitted with Form I-140 (employment-based immigrant petitions) from service centers to the USCIS lockbox. This change streamlines…
USCIS has updated its policy guidance for adjudicating Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) petitions, effective immediately. SIJ status provides a humanitarian pathway for certain minors who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned and…
The Department of Homeland Security and Department of State have released the lists of countries eligible for the H-2A (agricultural workers) and H-2B (temporary non-agricultural workers) visa programs for the upcoming year. These lists…
As of August 21, 2023, the USCIS Potomac Service Center relocated to Camp Springs, Maryland and no longer accepts paper responses. Applicants with pending cases at this service center must now file all documents electronically, including…
Certain applicants renewing their employment authorization on Form I-765 are automatically eligible for a 180-day extension of their work permit while their renewal application is pending with USCIS. This extension provides continuity of…
Starting November 1, 2023, all H-2A and H-2B petitions, plus related CNMI forms, must be filed at the Texas Service Center instead of other locations. This filing location consolidation applies to Form I-129, Form I-129CW, and CNMI-related…
USCIS will now consider two-year extensions of parole on a case-by-case basis for certain Afghan nationals under age 14 who were initially granted parole. This provides eligible Afghan minors with greater continuity of status and work…
USCIS updated its Policy Manual to provide comprehensive guidance on the EB-5 Regional Center Program, including regional center designation, obligations, project applications, and promoter responsibilities. These updates clarify the rules…
USCIS issued policy guidance on the two-year foreign residence requirement for J-1 exchange visitors, clarifying when and how the requirement applies and potential waivers. Exchange visitors and their sponsors should review the updated…
USCIS clarified that sole proprietorships cannot file L-1 intracompany transfer petitions on behalf of their owners because a sole proprietorship is not a separate legal entity distinct from the owner. This policy guidance prevents owners…
USCIS has received enough H-2B petitions to reach the congressionally mandated cap for the first half of fiscal year 2024. The H-2B program provides temporary work visas for nonagricultural workers in seasonal or temporary positions. Once…
USCIS has issued new instructions for people who want to file asylum applications after their removal proceedings were dismissed or terminated by the Executive Office for Immigration Review. The guidance clarifies the process and…
USCIS launched a new online tool called Enterprise Change of Address (E-COA) that allows applicants to update their mailing address for any pending application, petition, or request. This self-service tool makes it easier and faster to…
USCIS provided additional guidance on the EB-5 investor visa program regarding required investment timeframes and how terminated regional center investors are treated under the 2022 EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act. The guidance clarifies…
USCIS is extending and expanding fee exemptions and expedited processing for Afghan nationals on their immigration applications and petitions. The expansion of this program provides additional support to Afghan refugees and parolees.…