USCIS determined that for December 2023, applicants in all family-sponsored preference categories and all employment-based preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart. According to the December 2023 visa bulletin, the priority date for the Second preference (F2A) – spouses and children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) of lawful permanent residents is September 1, 2023. Dates For…
State Department officials have announced that a restricted number of H-1B specialty occupation workers will have the opportunity to extend their visas in the United States starting in January. Additionally, the agency is actively working on extending interview waivers for specific temporary visas and introducing a digital visa for travel to the US. Initially, the implementation of the H-1B domestic…
Certain applicants are required to pay a filing fee for Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization), but they may qualify for a fee waiver. USCIS offers guidance on how to request a fee waiver for Form I-765, providing information on the necessary documentation to support the fee waiver request and explaining the concept of a means-tested public benefit. When applicants…
USCIS has introduced an Enterprise Change of Address (E-COA) self-service tool, providing individuals with a USCIS online account the convenience of updating their mailing and physical address for pending applications, petitions, or requests all in one centralized location. Through E-COA, individuals with a USCIS online account can efficiently manage address updates for pending applications, petitions, or requests without the need…
The H-2B nonimmigrant program allows employers to hire nonimmigrants temporarily for nonagricultural labor or services in the United States. Typically, Congress has established the H-2B cap at 66,000 per fiscal year, with 33,000 allocated for workers beginning employment in the first half of the fiscal year (October 1 – March 31) and 33,000 for those starting in the second half…
The USCIS Tampa Asylum Office will be relocating to a new address, and the current facility will cease public operations on November 29, 2023. Mail will be received at the new location from November 29 onwards, but walk-in services will not be available until December 13, 2023. It’s important to note that this relocation will not impact jurisdiction. Asylum applicants…
USCIS determined that for November 2023, applicants in all family-sponsored preference categories and all employment-based preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart. According to the November 2023 visa bulletin, the priority date for the Second preference (F2A) – spouses and children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) of lawful permanent residents is September 1, 2023. Dates For…
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aimed at modernizing the H-1B specialty occupation worker program. The proposed changes seek to streamline eligibility criteria, enhance program efficiency, provide added benefits and flexibility to both employers and workers, and reinforce integrity measures. Furthermore, the rule suggests altering the H-1B registration selection process to…
USCIS released updated guidelines that extend the maximum validity period for both initial and renewal Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) to five years for specific noncitizens who have employment authorization based on their status or circumstances. This includes individuals admitted as refugees, paroled as refugees, granted asylum, and those with withholding of removal status. Remzi Guvenc Kulen, Esq. Kulen Law Firm,…
On October 17, 2023, the Department of State sent a Federal Register notice for review, titled ‘Pilot Program to Resume Renewal of H-1B Nonimmigrant Visas in the United States for Certain Qualified Noncitizens,’ to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. This document will outline the eligibility criteria for participation in the Stateside Visa Renewal pilot program (pilot program). It…
