This evening, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the April 2025 Visa Bulletin. There is some forward movement in most of the oversubscribed categories, and retrogression in the EB5 unreserved category. All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the final action chart (i.e.,...
On 26.Feb.2025, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued updated guidance in the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) removing the policy that a consular officer’s recommendation for approval of a foreign national’s nonimmigrant visa (NIV) waiver request be consistent with a prior adjudication of the individual’s...
The Trump administration is planning to impose a travel ban for foreign nationals from Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to an unconfirmed report by Reuters. According to Reuters, the ban could be implemented as soon as next week. Moreover, it is possible that, in addition to...
As the H1B cap registration season approaches, it is essential for employers to ensure that all information submitted in the electronic registration is accurate. With the transition to a beneficiary-centric registration system last year, even minor errors can have significant consequences. While the U.S. Citizenship...
On 28.Feb.2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a policy memorandum that dramatically expands the circumstances under which the USCIS intends to issue a notice to appear (NTA), or refer cases to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for NTA issuance. An...
The Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) Directorate, a division of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), conducts unannounced site visits to H1B employers as part of its compliance and fraud prevention efforts. These visits aim to verify the legitimacy of H1B petitions and...
On 25.Feb.2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the upcoming launch of a new alien registration process. While the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) has long required the registration of most aliens who remain in the United States for 30 days or more,...
Today, the Trump Administration announced that they plan to eliminate the EB5 immigrant investor program, and replace it with a “gold card” program, which grants lawful permanent residency based on an investment of $5 million. No further details have yet been provided.It is worth noting...
All too often, H-4 dependents inadvertently find themselves in challenging immigration situations. This may occur because of a simple oversight or misunderstanding of the requirements to remain in valid status, or even potentially because of an error made by an immigration official. Below are three...
Last month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implemented a final rule that updates the criteria for nonprofit and governmental research organizations sponsoring H1B visa beneficiaries under the cap-exempt category. This change is expected to expand the number of organizations that qualify as cap...
