Department of State: Nonimmigrant Visa Fee Increases Delayed Until June 17 On June 17, 2023, the nonimmigrant visa (NIV) application processing fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2s and BCCs), and other non-petition-based NIVs such as student and exchange visitor visas (F, M, and J visas), will increase from $160 to $185. The …
U.S. Updates – Week of May 30, 2023 Department of State Delays Consular Fee Rule Effective Date The Department of State (DOS) is delaying until June 17, 2023, the effective date of its rule raising consular fees for most nonimmigrant visas and special visas, published on March 28, 2023. DOS said this was to “provide …
U.S. Immigration Updates– Week of May 30, 2023 & May 2023 Monthly Review Read More »
New Comprehensive Immigration Bill to be Introduced in US House Florida Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar and Texas Democrat Rep. Veronica Escobar have teamed up on a sprawling immigration bill that aims to revamp asylum processing, slash visa backlogs, and provide a path to legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants. The nearly 500-page bill, …
June 2023 Visa Bulletin Reports India Employment-Based Retrogressions The Department of State’s (DOS) Visa Bulletin for June 2023 reports a retrogression for the India EB-5 category and a likely retrogression soon for the India EB-3 category: Steady number use and high demand in the EB-3 category for India will most likely necessitate retrogression of the …
ICE Extends Form I-9 Requirement Flexibility U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on May 4, 2023, that employers will have 30 days to comply with Form I-9, Employment Authorization Verification, requirements after the COVID-19 flexibilities sunset on July 31, 2023. ICE is encouraging employers to plan ahead to complete all required physical inspections of …
May 2, 2023 Updates USCIS Announces Results of FY 2024 H-1B Initial Registration Period U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the results of the fiscal year (FY) 2024 H-1B initial registration period and expressed concerns about fraud. During the registration period for the FY 2024 H-1B cap, USCIS saw a significant increase in the …
U.S. Immigration Updates– Week of May 2, 2023 & April 2023 Monthly Review Read More »
OFLC: Form ETA-9089 Case Creation, Submission Available Soon in FLAG The Department of Labor’s Office of Labor Certification (OFLC) announced on April 21, 2023, that it will begin accepting the revised Form ETA-9089, Application for Permanent Employment Certification, in the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system on May 16, 2023. Filers may begin creating and …
U.S. Immigration Updates– Week of April 24, 2023 Read More »
Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) Reconsiders Denials based on ETA-9089 Question H.10-B The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) posted an announcement on April 14, 2023, regarding recent permanent labor certification applications that were denied where the employer did not explicitly answer the question in field H.10-B of Form ETA-9089, Application …
U.S. Immigration Updates– Week of April 17, 2023 Read More »
Updates for April 3, 2023 USCIS Removes 60-Day Rule for Civil Surgeon Signatures on Form I-693 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on March 31, 2023, that it is removing the requirement that civil surgeons sign Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than 60 days before an individual …
U.S. Immigration Updates– Week of April 3, 2023 & March 2023 Monthly Review Read More »
USCIS: H-1B Initial Electronic Registration Selection Process Completed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2024 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap). USCIS has randomly selected from the registrations properly submitted to reach the …
U.S. Immigration Updates– Week of March 27, 2023 Read More »
