Five years ago, USCIS routinely took three months to issue employment authorization documents (EADs) and advance parole (AP) travel documents. Prior to the pandemic, USCIS was taking approximately six months to issue them. Now, USCIS can take nine months or longer to issue these documents. These delays create huge hardships to organizations
Pursuant to a Biden Administration initiative, on January 21, 2022, the Departments of State (“DOS”) and Homeland Security (“DHS”) announced new actions related to STEM work authorization, J-1 Researchers, National Interest Waivers, and O-1 Extraordinary Ability Workers. You can read the White House Fact Sheet here. “The Biden-Harris Administration believes
On January 5, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), on behalf of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), filed a motion to dismiss its appeal of a U.S. District Court’s ruling in the case Behring Regional Center LLC v. Alejandro N. Mayorkas, et al. (“Behring v. Alejandro”).
Six months have passed since the EB-5 Regional Center Program (“Program”) expired and Congress has still not taken any steps towards its renewal. Originally enacted in 1993, the Program was a pilot, or test, program and was never made permanent. The Program had been extended on a regular basis for
The United States Department of State (“DOS”) has extended the authority of consular officers to waive certain in-person non-immigrant visa interviews through the end of 2022. Along with B-1/ B-2 interview waivers, F, M, and J Academic visa applicant waivers have been extended to the end of 2022 under the
The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) published a Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (“NPRM”) to adjust fees for various immigration benefits provided by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). Included in the NPRM are proposed fees for many forms used under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program (“EB-5 Program.”). Fees
On January 4, 2023, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) published Form I-956K, Registration for Direct and Third-Party Promoters which is now required to be completed and filed by any person or company that is acting as a direct or third-party promoter or migration agent (a “Promoter”) of: A
The U.S. Center for Disease Control (“CDC”) has announced that it will implement a requirement for a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery for air passengers boarding flights to the United States originating from the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and
The United States Department of State (“DOS”) has extended DOS consular officers’ authority to waive in-person interviews for certain nonimmigrant visa categories through December 31, 2023. The announcement made on December 23, 2022 replaces the previous policy extending nonimmigrant visa waivers through December 31, 2022 and allows DOS consular officers
Many persons who are lawfully present in the U.S. in valid nonimmigrant visa status are eligible to file a Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (“I-485 Application”) and “adjust” their status from nonimmigrant status to lawful permanent resident status if they qualify for an immigrant visa
Copyright 2012 – 2024 Enterline and Partners Consulting | All Rights Reserved
