The U.S. Department of State (DOS) reports that progress has been made toward restoring the visa issuance systems. DOS updates state that 22 consular posts have been reconnected to the biometric data processing system, and work continues to reconnect more consular posts.The most recent update...
A technical failure at a U.S. Department of State facility in the United States has now resulted in visa "stamps" being unavailable worldwide. As a result of this technical failure, U.S. consulates are unable to conduct the required security checks of visa applicants - a...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) July 2015 Visa Bulletin brings disappointing news on a number of fronts. The cutoff dates in the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for India and the employment-based, third preference (EB3) category for China do not move forward at all....
As previously explained, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has temporarily suspended premium processing for certain H1B petitions, from May 26 through July 26, 2015. In announcing the suspension of this service, the USCIS noted that this would only apply to cases "…requesting an extension...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) is experiencing technical problems that are causing delays in issuance of U.S. visa "stamps," as well as some U.S. passports. DOS advises that the problems are not limited to any specific country or visa category.The visa delays are the...
A nationwide, class action lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for delays in the adjudication of employment authorization documents (EADs). This lawsuit, captioned Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) v. USCIS, asserts...
This morning, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the July 2015 Visa Bulletin. The employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for people born in India sees no movement, leaving the cutoff date at October 1, 2008. EB2 China, on the other hand, moves ahead by four...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released interim guidance addressing employer obligations for filing amended petitions for H1B workers who have been moved to new worksites. The guidance sets a deadline of August 19, 2015 for H1B employers to come into compliance with the...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are in the initial stages of proposing important regulatory changes affecting employment-based (EB) immigration. The spring 2015 DHS regulatory agenda includes rulemaking that, if implemented, would make certain beneficiaries of...
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released a final rule that will now make it possible for dependents of F-1 and M-1 students to study in the United States on a limited basis. Effective May 29, 2015, F-2 and M-2 spouses and children will be...
