WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proposing a rule to end a program that allowed certain foreign entrepreneurs to be considered for parole to temporarily come to the United States to develop and build start-up businesses here, known as the International Entrepreneur Rule (IER Final Rule). Earlier a court decision had vacated USCIS’ final rule[Read More]
News & Insights
USCIS to Begin Using More Secure Mail Delivery Service (signature confirmation)
April 27, 2018, Adhikari Law, WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that the agency will begin phasing in use of the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery service to mail Green Cards and other secure documents beginning April 30, 2018. The first phase will affect documents that need to be[Read More]
Texas Service Center to Begin Processing Form I-129 for L Visas and Vermont Service Center will no longer process L visa petitions
February 12, 2018, Washington, D.C. The Texas Service Center (TSC) of USCIS will begin processing certain Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker petitions for L nonimmigrant classification, also known as L visas. The TSC will share this workload with the California Service Center to balance workloads and to provide flexibility as USCIS works towards[Read More]
Now the Premium Processing is Available for all types of H-1Bs
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resumed premium processing today for all H-1B visa extension of stay petitions. Premium processing is now available for all types of H-1B petitions. H-1B visas provide skilled workers for a wide range ofspecialty occupations, including information technology, engineering, and mathematics. When a petitioner requests the agency’s[Read More]
DHS announced to wind down Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program
Washington, DC. On September 5, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiated the wind down of the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). On June 29, the attorneys general of Texas and several other states sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions asserting that the DACA program is unlawful for the[Read More]
Notice to DHS Contractors and Subcontractors on Compliance with E-Verify
Washington DC, Jul 19, 2017. DHS article on FedBizOps summarizes E-Verify requirements. The Department of Homeland Security expects employers to abide by the immigration laws of the United States and to employ in the United States only individuals who are eligible to work. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.222-54 Employment Eligibility Verification, requires federal contractors and[Read More]
USCIS offers special immigration services to Those Affected by Hurricane Harvey
Washington, DC. USCIS has made public announcement that it offers special immigration services that may help people affected by unforeseen circumstances, including disasters such as Hurricane Harvey. USCIS makes following measures available on case-by-case basis and upon making special request: Changing a nonimmigrant status or extending a nonimmigrant stay for an individual currently in the[Read More]
Blanket L Admission Procedures
The blanket L process can be a useful way for qualifying employers to sponsor intracompany transferees for work in the U.S. However, despite its utility, inconsistencies abound in the length of stay granted to blanket L beneficiaries at U.S. ports of entry. ‘ Specifically, inconsistencies can arise when the initial validity period of a blanket[Read More]
USCIS Completes the H-1B Cap Random Selection Process for FY 2018
USCIS announced on April 7, 2017, that it has received enough H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap of 65,000 visas for fiscal year (FY) 2018. USCIS also received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to meet the U.S. advanced degree exemption, also known as the master’s cap. USCIS received 199,000 H-1B petitions during the[Read More]
USCIS Will Issue Redesigned Green Cards and Employment Authorization Documents
USCIS Release Date: April 19, 2017 WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced a redesign to the Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card) and the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) as part of the Next Generation Secure Identification Document Project. USCIS will begin issuing the new cards on May 1, 2017.[Read More]