The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated its Policy Manual regarding how and when the agency may disclose derogatory information to benefit requestors before making adverse decisions. The new guidance does not represent a significant shift in policy. Rather, it mainly serves to...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a change in the validity period of the report of medical examination and vaccination record (form I-693). Per the updated policy, an I-693 signed by a Civil Surgeon after 01.Nov.2023 will remain valid only for the...
This morning, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the July 2025 Visa Bulletin. As with recent months, movement remains limited in the employment-based categories. All cutoff dates listed below refer to the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified. Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based, First...
The PERM labor certification is the first in a three-step process in the majority of employment-based, permanent resident (commonly referred to as “green card”) cases. The PERM process is long and complex, and it can be overwhelming for a company pursuing the process for any...
Yesterday, President Trump signed a proclamation barring the admission of nationals of twelve countries, and partially restricting admission of nationals from seven other countries, as of Monday, 09.Jun.2025. This total travel ban will apply to nationals of the following twelve countries:Afghanistan Chad Equatorial Guinea ...
Given President Trump’s immigration directives, which focus heavily on enforcement efforts, there is growing concern surrounding possible increases in site visits and audits by various agencies involved in immigration enforcement. This article gives a non-exhaustive list of areas where employers can audit themselves or seek...
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on 28.May.2025 that the U.S. Department of State (DOS) would begin to "aggressively revoke" F-1 visa "stamps" of certain Chinese nationals studying in the United States and will closely scrutinize future visa applicants from China. Targeting Communists and Those Studying...
The Trump administration has ordered all U.S. consular posts to temporarily halt the scheduling of visa “stamp” appointment slots at consular posts for F, J, and M visa applicants. Foreign nationals who have already scheduled such visa appointments should not be impacted by this announcement.The...
Certain classes of U.S. citizens who were not born in the United States are eligible to file an application for certificate of citizenship (form N-600). While this certificate does not directly grant an immigration benefit, it does provide a certificate that evidences the date the...
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) recently met with U.S. Department of State (DOS) officials in Washington D.C., to discuss important developments affecting visa processing and immigration procedures. Summarized here are key takeaways from this meeting to help our clients and others in the community...
