The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has posted answers to a number of frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the Trump Administration's new travel ban, which is scheduled to go into effect on Thursday, March 16, 2017. This travel ban is based on an executive order...
On January 17, 2017 a regulation went into effect that permits the automatic extension of certain categories of employment authorization documents (EADs) for up to 180 days based on timely filed EAD renewal applications. This immigration benefit applies to applicants with new, qualifying renewal applications,...
The April 2017 Visa Bulletin was released this afternoon. Once again, there is no movement in the dates for filing (DF) chart. In the final action (FA) chart, the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for India advances by three weeks, to June 22, 2008. EB2...
Due to a technical error, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued a number of H1B approvals that were incorrectly annotated with the H1B1 annotation. The USCIS is expected to issue corrected approval notices to reflect the proper H1B designation. Background on H1B1 Category The...
Updated Later in the day on March 6, 2017 This order has been signed. The travel ban is set to go into effect March 16, 2017. . . . . . . . . . . Later today, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order that...
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulation affecting highly skilled workers went into effect on January 17, 2017. One of the key components of the new regulation is the availability of a grace period of up to 60 days for certain categories of nonimmigrant...
Starting April 3, 2017, the USCIS will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H1B petitions. This suspension may last up to six months. While H1B premium processing is suspended, petitioners will not be able to file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, for a...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is continuing to expand its scrutiny of the social media presence of foreign travelers and foreign nationals applying for U.S. immigration benefits. DHS Secretary John Kelly has stated that the Trump Administration's "extreme vetting" policies may include asking...
Last night, in his first speech before a joint session of Congress, President Trump called on lawmakers to reform the U.S. immigration system. The President asserted that the "… current, outdated system depresses wages for our poorest workers, and puts great pressure on taxpayers." He...
Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division for the U.S. Department of State (DOS), provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions almost every month. The update this month for the March 2017 Visa Bulletin provides predictions related to most employment-based categories, as well...
