The USCIS, earlier this month, released an updated policy guidance regarding employer’s ability to pay in employment-based immigrant petitions under first, second, and third preference categories. The new policy comes into effect immediately. • The new guidance addresses how the USCIS will assess ability to pay when a beneficiary changes employers under AC-21. • The […]

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) is launching a pilot program for H-1B visa renewals starting January 29, 2024. The pilot program has an allocation of 20,000 H-1B visas. On a weekly basis, the DOS will release approximately 4,000 application slots. Notably, half of these slots are specifically reserved for H-1B visa applicants with their […]

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received a sufficient number of petitions to fulfil the established quota of 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree or master’s cap for the fiscal year 2024. Contrary to the expectations of certain industry and legal professionals, there will not […]

On September 18, 2023, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Ombudsman’s Office published a handy tip sheet aimed at F-1 international students. The purpose – to assist them in sidestepping potential delays in the adjudication process for Form I-765, better known as Applications for Employment Authorization. This informative tip sheet is a valuable resource […]

There is widespread concern about the impact on U.S. immigration if the U.S. Federal Government shuts down on October 1, 2023, if Congress fails to reach a consensus on the annual spending bill or a temporary funding resolution.  In similar situations in the past the White House published contingency plans of federal agencies detailing each […]

All applications to extend one’s status in the U.S. that require a Form I-539 are exempt from paying the biometric fee from October 1, 2023. The USCIS had previously suspended the biometrics requirement through September 30, 2023.  If the service fee is accidentally included with the I-539 application, it will be returned, however, if the […]

In March 2023, the USCIS conducted an initial random selection of registrations for the FY 2024 H-1B cap. Those chosen were eligible to file cap-subject petitions from April 1 to June 30, 2023. The USCIS has now determined that additional registrations are needed to reach the FY 2024 numerical allocations. As such, a second lottery […]

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced a convenient self-service tool to reschedule biometric service appointments. This tool is expected to benefit requestors, attorneys, and accredited representatives and is part of the USCIS’s efforts to enhance customer service. With the new tool, individuals can reschedule appointments online, eliminating the need to call the […]