Green Card validity is extended for the applicants who have pending form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, and form I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status for 48 months starting from the card’s expiration date. The change has been effective since January 11, 2023, for I-829 and it has been effective since January 25,…
Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, is an application to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. On December 12, 2020, USCIS announced that they automatically extend the validity of a Permanent Resident Card (PRC) (Form I-551) through an Application for Naturalization (Form N-400) receipt notice, without regard to whether the applicant has filed an application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Form I-90).…
DOS posted the visa bulletin for January 2023. USCIS determined that for January 2023, all family-sponsored preference categories and all employment-based preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart in the visa bulletin. According to January 2023 visa bulletin, visa numbers will still be current for Second preference (F2A) – spouses and children (unmarried and under 21 years of…
USCIS encourages applicants to include Form I-693, Medical Examination and Vaccination Record at the time of filing. Currently, USCIS is expanding potential waivers for interviews in family based green card applications. Based on the potential waiver of interviews in family-based adjustment of status applications, USCIS advises applicants to send their Form I-693 with their initial application. This will avoid the…
On December 19, 2022, USCIS published a new resource containing options available for nonimmigrant workers who have lost their employment. The page contains information for nonimmigrant workers whose employment terminated, either voluntarily or involuntarily. The workers may have the listed options below for remaining in the United States for a period of authorized stay based on existing rules and regulations.…
The INA provides that an applicant for a visa, admission, or adjustment of status is inadmissible if in the opinion of the consular officer, immigration officer, or immigration judge at the time of application for a visa, admission, or adjustment of status, the applicant is likely at any time to become dependent on certain government benefits in the future, which…
U.S. Department of Education made an announcement that they will no longer recognize the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) as an accrediting agency. This determination will be affecting the two immigration-related student programs: • English language study programs, as the programs are required to be accredited under the Accreditation of English Language Training Program act; and •…
Each fiscal year The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets the number of immigrant visas for noncitizens to get Green Cards. Immigrant visas for the family-sponsored and employment-based immigrant categories are numerically limited, so they are not always immediately available. Generally, family-sponsored visas are limited to 226,000 visas each fiscal year and employment-based visas are limited to 140,000 each fiscal…
Applicants who file adjustment of status application to become a lawful permanent resident, must submit I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record to establish that the applicant is not inadmissible to the United States on public health grounds. Recently, most of the applicants who already submitted their Medical Examination receiving RFEs requesting medical exam for their adjustment of status…
Department of State updated Visa Appointment Wait Times on their website. The page includes estimated wait times for nonimmigrant visa applications eligible for an interview waiver. The additional fields on the website now include visa wait times for: • Interview Waiver Visitors (B1/B2) • Interview Waiver Students/Exchange Visitors (F, M, J) • Interview Waiver Petition-Based Temporary Workers (H, L, O,…
