All updates

USCIS has completed the FY 2025 H-1B cap initial registration process and received enough registrations to meet both the general H-1B cap and the advanced degree master's cap allocation. Employers and workers should now monitor USCIS…

USCIS updated its Policy Manual on April 1, 2024, to reflect a new fee rule that took effect earlier that year. The revisions align USCIS guidance with the Federal Register final rule published on January 31, 2024. This ensures consistency…

USCIS is changing the filing location for employment-based green card applications effective April 1, 2024. Forms I-140 (immigrant petition), I-485 (adjustment of status), and related work authorization and travel document forms will now…

Starting April 1, 2024, new U.S. citizens can now request a Social Security number or card update directly when filing their naturalization application (Form N-400). Previously, citizens had to visit a Social Security Administration office…

USCIS closed the FY 2025 H-1B cap initial registration period on March 25, 2024, at noon Eastern Time. The agency also announced filing location changes for H-1B Form I-129 as part of season updates and reminders. Employers and workers…

USCIS has reopened its international field office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, expanding its capacity to process immigration cases in Central America. This office will handle visa applications, credential verification, and other immigration…

Burma (Myanmar) has been granted an 18-month extension and redesignation for Temporary Protected Status, keeping coverage in effect through November 25, 2025. The Department of Homeland Security cited extraordinary and temporary conditions…

USCIS has extended the initial registration period for the FY 2025 H-1B cap, giving employers and workers more time to submit cap registrations before the deadline. The extension provides additional opportunity to participate in the H-1B…

USCIS has updated its policy manual to clarify how the agency evaluates requests for expedited processing, including those based on government interest, emergency, urgent humanitarian need, or travel obligations. The new guidance provides…

USCIS has issued agency-wide anti-discrimination guidance affirming its commitment to fair treatment and public service principles in all public-facing interactions. The policy clarifies standards for preventing discrimination based on…

USCIS has received enough H-2B petitions to reach the cap for the second half of fiscal year 2024. The agency is now announcing filing dates for supplemental H-2B visas available for the remainder of FY 2024 under a temporary final rule.…

New editions of USCIS forms take effect on April 1, 2024, with no grace period for the old versions. Filers must use the 04/01/24 editions of forms starting that date. This coincides with a new fee rule also effective April 1, 2024.

USCIS launched new myUSCIS organizational accounts on February 28, 2024, allowing multiple team members and legal representatives to collaborate on H-1B registrations, petitions, and premium processing requests. Employers and immigration…

Beginning February 27, 2024, eligible Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members physically present in the United States can apply for re-parole to continue temporarily remaining in the country. This program allows Ukrainians…

Beginning February 27, 2024, eligible Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members physically present in the United States can apply for re-parole to continue temporarily remaining in the country. This program allows Ukrainians…

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…