In response to the United States’ ongoing health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a bipartisan group of senators has introduced a new bill, The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to offer
Continue Reading Proposed Bipartisan Bill to Recapture 40,000 Visas for Physicians and Nurses To Remedy Ongoing Shortage, Aid Ongoing COVID-19 Health Response
On March 2, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State issued guidance that contained new limitations on obtaining National Interest Exceptions (NIEs) from the travel restrictions
Continue Reading New Guidance on National Interest Exception Categories and How to Apply
The Biden administration has revoked Presidential Proclamation 10014 of April 22, 2020 -Suspension of Entry of Immigrants Who Present a Risk to the United States Labor Market During the Economic
Continue Reading Biden Administration Revokes Trump’s ‘Green Card Ban’ In Another Step Towards Restoring the Functioning of the U.S. Immigration System
On Sept. 30, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed and the president signed H.R. 8337 to keep the U.S. government operational through Dec. 11, 2020. This action will maintain vital immigration
Continue Reading Congress Passes and the President Signs the Continuing Resolution Keeping Government and Vital Programs such as EB-5 and E-Verify Operational Thru Dec. 11, 2020 – New Premium Processing Directive
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced that there will be an adjustment to the filing fees for certain applications and petitions requesting an immigration benefit. The new fees
Continue Reading USCIS Adjusts Fees and Changes Premium Processing Timeline
On July 16, 2020, the Department of State provided updated information on the availability of exceptions to the June 22 Presidential Proclamation 10052, which extends Proclamation 10014 through Dec. 31, 2020,.
Some travelers and visa applicants who are affected by the Proclamation may qualify for an exception if the purpose of their travel to the United States is for humanitarian reasons, public health response, or national security. Other exceptions include: (1) applicants who are subject to aging out of their current immigrant visa classification; (2) certain H and J visa applicants who are traveling to the United Sates to work in support of a critical U.S. foreign policy; and (3) dependents of applicants who are excepted from, or not subject to, the Proclamations.
Continue Reading Exceptions to Presidential Proclamations – Department of State Guidance
The U.S. Department of State announced on July 13, 2020, via Twitter, that U.S. embassies and consulates are entering a “phased resumption of routine visa services” beginning July 15, 2020.
Continue Reading U.S. Embassies and Consulates Expected to Resume Visa Services Beginning on July 15
As economies worldwide begin to re-open, some companies and individuals are thinking about resuming international travel. If international travel is required for your work or other reasons, be prepared for
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many U.S. Consulates and Embassies closed temporarily. As of June 20, 2020, some U.S. Consulates reopened, while others remain closed until further notice. Below is an outline of current openings:
Continue Reading Status of U.S. Consular Operations
On Jan. 29, 2020, USCIS announced that it would be making a significant change to the processing of I-526 Petitions, commonly referred to as EB-5 Petitions. USCIS previously had a policy to adjudicate EB-5 Petitions on a “first-in, first-out” basis. This meant that USCIS was to review and decide EB-5 Petitions based solely on the date the petition was filed with USCIS. Today, USCIS announced that it would change this policy and decide EB-5 Petitions using the “visa availability” approach.
The “visa availability” approach outlined by USCIS would prioritize EB-5 Petitions for adjudication based on whether a visa number is available to the investor. This ties the timing of the decision on the EB-5 petition to whether the investor is subject to visa retrogression based on their country of birth. As a reminder, the employment-based fifth preference category “EB-5” is allotted approximately 10,000 immigrant visas annually. This quota includes principal applicants, as well as spouses and dependent children under 21 years of age. No one country can exceed more than seven percent of the total EB-5 visas available in each fiscal year.
Continue Reading USCIS Announces Significant Change to EB-5 Adjudications Processing