Immigration Insider
ABIL Immigration Insider • July 07, 2019
Headlines: 1. Sen. Paul Blocks Bill to Eliminate Per-Country Cap on Employment-Based Green Cards -The “Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019” (S. 386), a bill that would eliminate the 7 percent per-country cap (numerical limitation) on employment-based immigrants, among other things, was blocked in the Senate by Rand Paul (R-Ky.). 2. OMB Concludes Review […]
ABIL Immigration Insider • June 30, 2019
Headlines: 1. USCIS Expands ‘FIRST’ Digital FOIA System -USCIS said FIRST is the only system in the U.S. government that allows users to submit and track FOIA requests and receive documents digitally. 2. USCIS Extends Parole and Work Authorization for Certain CNMI Residents -USCIS will automatically extend parole, and employment authorization if applicable, for certain […]
ABIL Immigration Insider • June 23, 2019
Headlines: 1. USCIS Aims to Decrease Processing Times Based on Location for Applications for Naturalization and to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status -USCIS said this may mean scheduling applicants to appear for an interview at a field office outside of their normal jurisdictions. 2. Green Card Backlogs Are Long, Growing, and Inequitable, CATO Institute […]
ABIL Immigration Insider • June 16, 2019
Headlines: 1. Ken Cuccinelli Named Acting Director of USCIS -Mr. Cuccinelli previously served as Virginia’s attorney general from 2010 to 2014. 2. Visa Bulletin for July Notes Slowdowns or Retrogressions (Visa Unavailability) in Several Employment-Based Immigrant Visa Categories Before End of Fiscal Year -The Visa Bulletin also includes details on expected potential monthly movement for […]
ABIL Immigration Insider • June 09, 2019
Headlines: 1. Premium Processing Begins for Remaining H-1B Cap-Subject (Lottery) Petitions -On June 10, 2019, USCIS will begin premium processing for all remaining FY 2020 H-1B lottery petitions. 2. OFLC’s New Online ‘FLAG’ Portal to Replace iCERT -The Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) will serve as the new application filing and case management portal for […]
ABIL Immigration Insider • June 02, 2019
Headlines: 1. State Dept. Notes Continued Heavy Demand, Retrogressions (Visa Unavailability) in Several Employment-Based Immigrant Visa Categories -The Visa Bulletin for June 2019 notes heavy demand in several employment-based visa categories for India and Vietnam. 2. USCIS Requests Info on EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Experience -USCIS wants information from attorneys, accredited representatives, regional center owners, […]
ABIL Immigration Insider • May 26, 2019
Headlines: 1. Regulatory Agenda Includes Stripping Employment Eligibility From H-4 Spouses of H-1B Visa Holders, Other Actions -The agenda also includes a proposal to revise the definition of “specialty occupation” to “increase focus on obtaining the best and the brightest” foreign nationals via the H-1B program, revise the definition of “employment” and “employer-employee relationship” to […]
ABIL Immigration Insider • May 19, 2019
Headlines: Trump Proposes Merit-Based Immigration Plan – President Donald Trump proposed an immigration plan on May 16, 2019, that shifts the emphasis to a merit-based system to admit highly educated, high-skilled immigrants. USCIS Completes Data Entry for FY 2020 H-1B Cap-Subject (Lottery) Petitions – USCIS announced that it has completed data entry for all […]
ABIL Immigration Insider • May 12, 2019
Headlines: 1. USCIS Clarifies Period of Authorized Stay for P-1S Essential Support Personnel of Individual Athletes -USCIS emphasizes that the periods of initial authorized stay are different for individual athletes (P-1A visa) and their essential support personnel (P-1S visa). 2. DHS Increases H-2B Cap for FY 2019 by 30,000 Additional Visas -The purpose of the […]
ABIL Immigration Insider • May 05, 2019
Headlines: 1. SSA Resumes Issuing No-Match Letters -The Social Security Administration has resumed mailing notifications to employers identified as having at least one name and Social Security Number combination submitted on the wage and tax statement (Form W-2) that do not match SSA’s records. A no-match letter is not necessarily an indication that a person […]
ABIL Immigration Insider • April 28, 2019
Headlines: 1. E-2 Investor Visa Program Opens to Israelis May 1 -Effective May 1, 2019, the E-2 investor visa program will open to Israelis under a reciprocal treaty investor agreement signed between the United States and Israel. 2. USCIS Responds to Congressional Letter Asking for Info on Backlog Causes -The letter asked the agency to […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 15, No. 4D • April 21, 2019
Headlines: 1. Visa Bulletin Shows Slight Forward Progress in Some Backlogged Preference Categories -Regarding EB-1 for China and India, the bulletin notes a continued “extremely high rate of demand” that may require temporary retrogression until October. 2. New USCIS Policy Guidance Clarifies Marijuana-Related Activities Bar on Naturalization -Certain marijuana-related activities generally bar naturalization even if […]