The USCIS has confirmed that the FY 2022 H-1B cap initial registration period will be open from March 9, 2021, 12:00 p.m. EST to March 25, 2021, 12:00 p.m. EST.
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Visa Options and Issues for Students
On Feb. 1, Greenberg Traurig Shareholders Kate Kalmykov and Nataliya Rymer presented “Visa Options and Issues for Students,” hosted by Columbia University School of Professional Studies.
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Change of Employer for E-3 Visa Holders Effectively Barred Due to Pandemic and USCIS Processing Times
A complex combination of the pandemic and USCIS’s ever-increasing processing times has chained E-3 visa holders in the United States to their current employers. The E-3 visa is a special
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President Extends Proclamations Restricting Nonimmigrant and Immigrant Visa Issuance
Late on Dec. 31, the Trump administration issued a proclamation that has the effect of extending the duration of two proclamations from 2020 that restricted immigrant and non-immigrant visa issuance
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Senate Passes Per-Country Cap Elimination Bill that Affects Employment-Based Visa Programs Such as EB-5
The U.S. Senate passed by Unanimous Consent an amended version of H.R. 1044, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives
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Class Certification Granted in H-1B Lawsuit
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has granted class certification in MadKudu Inc. v. USCIS, et al., to a group of employers who claim that the
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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
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
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Updates to Visa Reciprocity for Mexican Nationals
In line with the U.S. Department of State’s increased periodic review and update of visa “reciprocity” pursuant to a January 2017 Executive Order, Mexican nationals will now benefit from
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June 22 Immigration Proclamation Challenged by Business Organizations and Plaintiffs in New Lawsuit
Presidential Proclamation 10052, issued on June 22, 2020, has now been challenged in several federal district courts. As previously reported, Presidential Proclamation 10052 barred the issuance of visas to
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Exceptions to Presidential Proclamations – Department of State Guidance
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.
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