While the global Coronavirus pandemic rages on, the government is taking careful steps to manage the ongoing health crisis while also opening the country to fully vaccinated international travelers. Last week, President Biden made the decision to rescind Presidential Proclamation 10315, an order that previously suspended and restricted the entry…
Articles Posted in Work Visas
DOS Proposed Rule to Raise Several Consular Service Fees including E Visas, B1/B2, J-1 Waivers, BCC, and More
It’s the start of a brand-new year! On behalf of the Law Offices of Jacob J. Sapochnick we would like to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year. It has been a challenging time in the world of immigration law but we at the Law Office…
Department of State Releases Information Regarding Waiver of the In-Person Interview Requirement for Certain Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants
We have very exciting news for nonimmigrant visa applicants. Today, December 23rd, the Department of State announced that the agency has granted Consular officers the discretionary power to waive the in-person interview requirement for certain temporary employment nonimmigrant visa applicants, provided such applicants have a petition approved by USCIS. This…
Your Guide to the January 2022 Visa Bulletin, What to Expect, and More!
It is that time of the month again! In this blog post, we will cover the release of the January Visa Bulletin 2022 and what you can expect for employment based and family preference categories during the month of January 2022. The Department of State releases the visa bulletin on a monthly basis,…
BREAKING: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Announces New COVID-19 Testing Requirements for International Air Travelers
We kick off the start of a brand-new week with some breaking news. On Tuesday, December 2, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its international travel guidance to require all air passengers, regardless of vaccination status, to show a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 1…
A Thanksgiving Message from Sapochnick Law
Happy Thanksgiving from Sapochnick Law! This Thanksgiving, we want to share our genuine appreciation for our clients, subscribers, and faithful readers of our blog. Without your trust and support, we would not be where we are today. We’re so thankful for all of your support throughout the year. Today, we…
Third H-1B Lottery: USCIS Selects Additional Registrations for the FY 2022 H-1B Cap
Did you participate in the H-1B electronic registration for Fiscal Year 2022? If so, we have some exciting news for you. In this post we share with you some exciting news for individuals who submitted H-1B registrations for the fiscal year 2022 H-1B cap. On Friday, November 19, 2021, USCIS…
USCIS Policy Manual Updates Automatic Employment Authorization Policy for Dependent Spouses in E, L, Status, and Certain H-4 Visa Dependent Spouses
We are happy to deliver some amazing news for H-4, E, and L dependent spouses! On November 12, 2021, following a settlement agreement known as Shergill v. Mayorkas, the United States Citizenship, and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new Policy Memorandum (Policy Alert PA-2021-25) outlining that the agency will automatically…
BREAKING: Biden Administration Settles Class-Action Lawsuit Allowing L-2 and H-4 Spouses to Work Incident to Status
In this blog post we share amazing news with our readers regarding the settlement of a recent class-action lawsuit filed against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The agreement reached under the settlement will immediately allow for automatic renewals of employment authorization for: L-2 spouses of L-1 nonimmigrants and qualifying…
New House Reconciliation Bill Would Exempt Employment-Based Immigrants from Numerical Limitations
A new House reconciliation bill adds new language that could open a path to permanent residency for highly skilled immigrants without waiting for their priority date to become current. The new bill, known as H.R. 5376 “the Build Back Better Act,” is the latest initiative backed by the Biden administration…