On May 29, 2020, USCIS announced it would resume premium processing for certain eligible applications. USCIS had previously suspended all premium processing for I-129 and I-140 petitions due to the COVID-19 crisis and the impending H-1B cap filings. The resumption of premium processing comes at a time when USCIS has said that it might
USCIS announced on May 27 that it will reopen domestic offices and resume certain public services on June 4. USCIS had previously temporarily suspended routine in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices and application support centers (ASCs) in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. USCIS maintains a list of office closures and amended hours
On May 24, 2020, President Trump signed a Presidential Proclamation, which was subsequently amended on May 25, 2020, to be effective at 11:59 p.m. EST on May 26, 2020, which prohibits the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants who were physically present within Brazil during the 14-day period preceding their entry into the United States.
In a decision issued March 10, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia rejected U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) policies against H-1B visa holders. The issue was the sequence of memoranda and policy implementation by USCIS during the last 10 years the court considered unlawful as it has no basis in
The Department of Homeland Security announced the extension of restrictions along the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders. Restrictions to non-essential travel, including tourism and recreational travel, were initially implemented March 21, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement on May 19, 2020, Acting DHS Secretary Wolf said, “Non-essential travel will not be permitted until
COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have created challenges for employees seeking to renew a driver’s license, a state ID card, or other Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, List B identity document, as there are some restrictions on online renewal services.
Given these challenges, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a temporary policy regarding expired List B
On May 7, 2020, four U.S. senators wrote a letter to President Trump, requesting that he suspend “all new guest worker visas” for 60 days, and others for a year “or until unemployment has returned to normal levels.” The requested changes to the guest worker program come amid all-time high unemployment in the United
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on April 22, 2020 that it will extend the temporary closure of the Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) through June 1, 2020, with extended closures possible due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the suspension of the TTP, CBP will close all of the following enrollment centers:
On April 22, 2020, President Trump issued a Proclamation that will come into effect April 23, 2020, which suspends the entry of those seeking to immigrate into the United States. The reasoning behind the issuance of this Proclamation is to not burden the American economy and the healthcare system while it is recovering
Late on April 20, President Trump tweeted his intention to issue an Executive Order (EO) that “temporarily” suspends immigration into the United States. The proposed suspension may be issued in two EOs that address the following: