Today, June 17, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced a new strategy aimed at reducing the processing times for applications for naturalization and adjustment of status. This new strategy will attempt to equalize the processing times for citizenship and adjustment applicants who live in a jurisdiction…
Visa Lawyer Blog
July Visa Bulletin Trends and Visa Projections
Photo: JM Parrone In this post, we would like to keep our readers informed about Visa Bulletin projections for the coming months. Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division of the U.S. Department of State provides a monthly analysis of each month’s Visa Bulletin including discussion of…
This Week in Immigration News: New Zealand Nationals Can Now Apply for E-2, Premium Processing Updates, and More
New Zealand Now Eligible to Apply for E-1 and E-2 Investor Visas Beginning June 10, 2019, New Zealand nationals can apply for the E visa categories thanks to the President’s enactment of the Knowledgeable Innovators and Worthy Investors (KIWI) Act. Applicants who are already in the United States on a…
House Passes American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 Offering Dreamers a Path to Citizenship
Photo: Molly Adams On June 5, 2019, the House of Representatives unified to pass H.R. 6 better known as the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, offering Dreamers who meet certain requirements, a path to citizenship. The bill must still pass through the Senate to become law. H.R. 6…
Visa Applicants Now Required to Disclose Social Media Presence on DS-160/260 Applications
Foreign nationals applying for a non-immigrant or immigrant visa at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad are now required to disclose information relating to their social media presence on their online nonimmigrant and immigrant visa applications known as the DS-160 and DS-260 respectively. These changes were introduced early last week…
Trump Administration Issues Memo to Enforce Reimbursement Obligations of I-864 Sponsors
Photo: CafeCredit The Trump administration is mobilizing to strictly enforce laws that require the reimbursement of funds from an alien’s financial sponsor, where the alien has requested certain types of public benefits from a government agency. The White House has issued a memorandum stating that, “Financial sponsors who pledge to…
USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna, Announces Resignation
Ken Cuccinelli Photo by Gage SkidmoreSource: Flickr New developments in the world of immigration have just emerged. The director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), L. Francis Cissna, has been forced to resign. Cissna has served under the Trump administration since October 2017. During his tenure, Cissna…
This Week in Immigration News: Texas Service Center Will Begin Processing Certain Cap-Exempt H-1B Petitions, SEVP Fee Increase
It is that time of the week again! In this post, we bring you the latest immigration news from USCIS. Texas Service Center Will Begin Processing Certain Cap-Exempt H-1B Petitions On May 20, 2019, USCIS announced that the Texas Service Center will begin processing certain cap-exempt H-1B petitions filed on…
BREAKING: EB-3 Phillipines Will Become Current July 2019 Through Summer
Exciting news for Filipino nurses. The EB-3 employment-based category will become current in July 2019 through the summer. This means that if you have an approved PERM application that was filed by your employer, your employer may file Form I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker on your behalf. Please note…
USCIS Completes FY 2020 H-1B Data Entry, Begins Mailing Unselected Petitions
USCIS announced today May 17, 2019, that the agency has completed data entry for all H-1B petitions selected for fiscal year 2020, including petitions filed under the U.S. advanced degree exemption. USCIS will now begin the long process of returning all H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected in the…