On March 31, 2023, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) removed the requirement that civil surgeons sign the report of immigration medical examination and vaccination record (form I-693) within 60 days of the date of application for the underlying immigration benefit. The policy has...
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has agreed to review denials of ETA form 9089, application for permanent employment certification (PERM labor certification) based on question H.10-B, which asks employers to identify an acceptable alternate occupation in which applicants could gain prior qualifying experience. After...
This afternoon, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the May 2023 Visa Bulletin. All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified. Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category There is no movement in the EB1 category,...
On March 28, 2023, the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia held that the program that allows certain H-4 spouses to apply for employment authorization documents (EADs) was lawfully promulgated. Save Jobs USA, an organization of U.S. workers had challenged the H-4...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) recently announced a new mail delivery process for lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to receive an alien documentation, identification, and telecommunication (ADIT) stamp (also known as an I-551 stamp) as temporary evidence of the LPR's status. Under the new...
On March 15, 2023, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its ability-to-pay guidance, which can be found in Volume 6, Chapter 4 of the USCIS Policy Manual. The new guidance from the USCIS regarding the sponsoring employer's ability to pay applies only...
On March 7, 2023, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) issued updated guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual for mobile biometrics collection. This guidance clarifies the circumstances under which the USCIS will offer mobile biometrics for individuals who are unable to attend appointments at...
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the April 2023 Visa Bulletin. All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified. Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category There is no movement in the EB1 category, with...
When completing the ETA form 9089, application for permanent employment certification (PERM labor certification), employers may overlook a small but important question on the form: "[I]s there a familial relationship between the owners, stockholders, partners, corporate officers, incorporators, and the alien?" Before breezing past this...
On February 14, 2023, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) issued updated guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual that significantly improves the protections offered by the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). Per the new guidance, in certain circumstances, CSPA age determinations may be based...
