USCIS has just released guidance that the agency will resume its previous practice of adjudicating extension petitions with deference to the initial approval where the parties and facts are the same. This is welcome news as processing times for extension petitions have grown dramatically over the last few years from a couple of months to six to ten months.
Read MoreThe Department of State (DOS) has issued its May 2021 Visa Bulletin. Both employment-based and family-based priority dates are detailed below.
Read MoreFor employers who continue to operate remotely, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) has once again extended the ability of employers to remotely verify a new employee’s identify and employment authorization documents for Form I-9 purposes through May 31, 2021.
Read MoreThe Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will continue to limit “non-essential travel” at its land borders with both Canada and Mexico for an additional 30 days through April 21, 2021, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read MoreThe Department of Labor is postponing changes to the way it will calculate prevailing wages for the H-1B, H-1B1, E-3 and PERM by an additional 18 months. This new proposal would delay the effective and transition dates by an additional 18 months until November 14, 2022 and January 1, 2023, respectively.
Read MoreThe Department of State (DOS) has issued its April 2021 Visa Bulletin. Both employment-based and family-based priority dates are detailed below.
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The recent military coup in Burma has deepened the humanitarian crisis in the country, preventing Burmese nationals and habitual residents from returning home safely. In light of the ongoing violence in Burma, the Biden administration has decided to grant Temporary Protected Status to nationals of Burma currently residing in the US for a period of 18 months.
We are delighted to report that USCIS will no longer apply the new rules for determining whether a foreign national is at risk of becoming a “Public Charge” effective March 9, 2021.
Read MoreIt's that time of the year again! The registration period for this year's H-1B visa lottery runs from Tuesday, March 9 at 9 AM PST / 12 PM EST to Thursday, March 25 at 9 AM PST / 12 PM EST. We highly recommend registering early on during this period so there is time to accommodate any system glitches or crashes before the registration period closes on March 25.
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