The immigration field has seen several significant changes this year, many temporary and in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, others as a result of hard-fought litigation, others in reversal
USCIS Temporarily Waives 60-Day Rule for Civil Surgeon Signatures on Form I-693
On Dec. 9, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will temporarily waive the requirement that the civil surgeon sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and
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USCIS Announces an Expanded Collaboration with the Social Security Administration for LPR Applicants
On Aug. 9, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that applicants filing for Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status are now able to apply for a Social Security number
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USCIS Extends Form I-693 Validity Period Due to COVID-19-Related Delays in Adjudication
On Aug. 12, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will extend the validity period of Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, to four
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USCIS Tightens Policies Regarding Biometrics Appointment Reschedule Requests
On May 11, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it no longer accepts written, mailed-in requests to reschedule biometrics appointments. Instead, requestors must call the USCIS Contact
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District Court Blocks Filing of New DACA Applications
On July 16, the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued a permanent injunction against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. However, the court temporarily
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USCIS Updates Policies to Improve Immigration Services
On June 9, 2021, USCIS issued three new Policy Alerts in the USCIS Policy Manual. These updates support Executive Order (EO) 14012, “Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems
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Department of Homeland Security Announces Continuation of International Entrepreneur Parole Program for Foreign Entrepreneurs
On May 10, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is withdrawing a 2018 notice of proposed rulemaking that proposed to remove
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USCIS Issues Guidance Reinstating Deference Policy for Prior Approved Nonimmigrant Petitions
On April 27, 2021, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it was reinstating its guidance to immigration officers to defer to prior nonimmigrant petition approvals when adjudicating
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USCIS Expands Online Filing to F-1 Students Seeking OPT
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that F-1 students seeking optional practical training (OPT) can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization online if they are filing
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