Immigration Alerts

COVID-Related Restrictions Expected to Ease at the Canadian Border According to unofficial reports, by the end of September 2022, Canada may drop its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for travelers entering Canada from the United States via the Detroit-Windsor border. That border crossing handles more than 40,000 travelers each day, including commuters, truck drivers, and tourists. Canada …

U.S. Immigration Updates– September 2022 Monthly Review Read More »

USCIS Implements Next Phase of Premium Processing for Certain Previously Filed EB-1 and EB-2 Immigrant Petitions U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on September 15, 2022, that it is starting the next phase of the premium processing expansion for certain petitioners who have a pending Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, under the …

U.S. Immigration Updates- Week of September 19, 2022 Read More »

October 2022 Visa Bulletin Includes Important Updates The Department of State’s (DOS) Visa Bulletin for October 2022, the first month of the new fiscal year, includes several updates: · Scheduled expiration of employment fourth preference (SR) Religious Workers category. Unless Congress extends this category, no SR visas may be issued overseas, or final action was …

U.S. Immigration Updates- Week of September 12, 2022 Read More »

USCIS Dedicated to Using as Many Employment-Based Green Cards as Possible by September 30 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the overall employment-based annual limit for immigrant visas in fiscal year (FY) 2022 is approximately twice as high as usual, primarily due to consular closures abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. USCIS said it …

U.S. Immigration Updates-September 5, 2022 Read More »

FY 2023 H-1B Cap Has Been Reached According to USCIS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on August 23, 2022, that it has received a sufficient number of petitions needed to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap, …

U.S. Immigration Updates – August 2022 Monthly Review Read More »

DHS Proposes to Allow for Alternatives to Physical Document Examination for I-9 Verification On August 18, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a rule to allow for alternative document verification procedures for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. The proposed rule would create a framework under which the Secretary of Homeland Security could authorize …

U.S. Immigration Updates -Week of August 22, 2022 Read More »

September 2022 Visa Bulletin Indicates Increasing Demand for Employment-Based Visas The Department of State’s (DOS) Visa Bulletin for September notes a steady increase in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Department of State demand patterns for employment-based visas during the fiscal year. As a result, the Department expects that most employment-based preference category limits and/or …

U.S. Immigration Updates- Week of August 15, 2022 Read More »

New Information Sources on STEM Released Several entities have released new resources on research and options for noncitizens in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the United States: · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has published resources to provide an overview of some of the temporary and permanent pathways for noncitizens …

U.S. Immigration Updates- Week of August 1, 2022 Read More »

This writing will provide an update of U.S. immigration developments for the month of July 2022 and the potential impact on U.S. employers and foreign nationals. USCIS Extends COVID-19 Related Flexibilities Through October 23, 2022 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending certain COVID-19-related flexibilities through Oct. 23, 2022, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors. …

U.S. Immigration Updates – July 2022: Monthly Review Read More »

USCIS Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests Set to Expire After July 25 After July 25, 2022, the flexibility periods for responding to USCIS requests, and for filing Forms I-290B and N-336 will expire. USCIS has stated in its most recent announcement on March 30, 2022, that it anticipates this may be the final extension …

U.S. Immigration Updates- Week of July 18, 2022 Read More »