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 published a policy memorandum that makes victims of certain categories of nonimmigrant abusive spouses eligible to apply for employment authorization documents (EADs). Under the terms of the March 8, 2016 memo, abused spouses of foreign nationals holding A...
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...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a news alert this afternoon, informing stakeholders that the data entry process has been completed for all cases selected in this year's H1B lottery. The USCIS will now begin returning all cap-subject petitions that were not selected....
Representatives from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently revealed to members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that USCIS adjudicators have been "… testing social media review in adjudications." They further indicated that the agency is reviewing social media as part of...
The annual limits for the employment-based, fourth preference (EB4) category have been reached for applicants born in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. This development is reflected in the establishment of a cutoff date in the May 2016 Visa Bulletin issued by the U.S. Department of State...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that, on May 12, 2016, the agency will begin to adjudicate H1B cap cases filed requesting premium processing. This is consistent with the earlier statement by the USCIS, indicating that the 15-calendar-day processing period for these...
This final NewsBrief in our series of annual reminders focuses on key dates within immigration law. The subject here is primarily dates important to permanent residents ("green card" holders) and those applying to become permanent residents of the United States. Regularly Check Priority Date Movement to...
Each month, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) provides a visa bulletin check-in with Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division. This month, Mr. Oppenheim explains key developments in the May 2016 Visa Bulletin, and also provides some predictions for cutoff date...
