The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently designated an Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decision on L1A functional managers as binding precedent. The case involved a small U.S. subsidiary of a large Japanese company. The AAO found that, in order to determine whether a person...
Many types of immigration forms submitted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) require the applicant to provide biometrics at an office in the United States. The USCIS has recently confirmed, however, that in "rare circumstances," the agency has the discretion to allow such...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new system for employers to follow up on long-delayed nonimmigrant worker petitions (form I-129). This option applies when an employer's I-129 has been in pending status for 210 days or more. Background: Form I-129 for Nonimmigrant Cases The...
As of this writing, many are still anxiously awaiting the outcome of H1B petitions filed against the fiscal year 2017 (FY17) H1B cap. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced completion of the lottery selection on April 12, 2016, and premium processing officially commenced...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has created a webpage exclusively for informing the public about workload-related case transfers. The USCIS periodically shifts designated case types between service centers to more evenly distribute workloads. The online resource makes it easier for stakeholders to stay...
Per a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on May 4, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is seeking to raise filing fees for most types of immigration filings. This notice specifies the amount of the proposed fee increases and explains...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) have special, expedited procedures for active duty U.S. military personnel stationed overseas who are petitioning for immigration benefits for their family members. These procedures help to greatly reduce the paperwork processing...
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has revised the guidance for 24-month STEM OPT filings. This guidance reflects accommodations for delays during the transition to the new 24-month STEM OPT program. These changes are only applicable to students with optional practical training (OPT) expiration...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has adopted a decision of the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) addressing the requirements for medical specialists seeking a physician-specific national interest waiver (NIW). This solidifies a long-standing practice by the USCIS, which allows all physicians, both primary care...
Tomorrow, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be publishing a proposed increase in filing fees in the Federal Register that would apply to nearly all case types. A pre-publication version of the proposal is available online. Table 9, which can be found beginning...
