Headlines: 1. House Holds Hearing on H-2B Temporary Foreign Worker Program -Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) noted, among other things, that according to USCIS statistics, as of June 2, 2016, the agency had already approved petitions for 12,727 returning H-2B workers, “with 1,171 potential additional returning workers in the pipeline.” 2. State Dept. Releases DV-2017 Results […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS, DOS Launch e-Approval for H-2A Petitions -USCIS and DOS announced the launch of e-Approval for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for the H-2A (temporary agricultural worker) classification. 2. USCIS Will Now Use Pre-Paid Mailers To Send H-2A Receipt Notices -Coinciding with the launch of e-Approval, USCIS has begun using pre-paid […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Proposes Fee Increases, New Fee for Annual Certification of EB-5 Regional Centers -Among other things, USCIS proposes a new fee of $3,035 to recover the full cost of processing the EB-5 Annual Certification of Regional Center, Form I-924A. 2. USCIS Completes Data Entry of FY 2017 H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions, Begins Rejections -USCIS […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS To Resume Premium Processing for Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions; Temporarily Suspends Use of Pre-Paid Mailers for Certain H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions -For cap-subject H-1B petitions, including advanced degree exemption petitions, the 15-day premium processing period will begin on May 12, 2016, regardless of the date on the Form I-797 receipt notice. 2. USCIS Designates […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Reaches FY 2017 H-1B Cap -As expected, USCIS has quickly reached the H-1B cap for FY 2017. USCIS also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the U.S. advanced degree exemption. Due to the high number of petitions, USCIS is not yet able to announce the date on […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Finalizes Guidance on ‘Same or Similar’ Occupations and Job Portability -USCIS has finalized guidance on determining whether a new job is in the “same or similar” occupational classification with respect to job portability. 2. USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for First Half of FY 2016 -USCIS announced it has received a sufficient number […]
Headlines: 1. DHS Announces Further VWP Travel Restrictions -DHS has added Libya, Somalia, and Yemen as three countries of concern with respect to new limits on VWP travel for certain individuals who have traveled to these countries. 2. Tech, Business Executives Petition Congress To Undo New Restrictions on Visa-Free Travel -Almost three dozen technology and […]
Headlines: 1. 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. 2. USCIS Advises Employers To Identify Returning Workers Who Are […]
Headlines: 1. 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. 2. Court Delays STEM OPT Ruling, Preserving Current STEM OPT Program -DHS persuaded the court that it was working diligently to evaluate more […]
Headlines: 1. 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. 2. 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 […]