USCIS today announced that, due to the ongoing COVID-19 National Emergency announced by President Trump on March 13, 2020, they will accept all benefit forms and documents with reproduced original signatures, including the Form I-129, Petition for Non immigrant Worker, for submissions dated March 21, 2020, and beyond. USCIS already accepts various petitions, applications and [...]
DHS Announces Flexibility in Requirements Related to Form I-9 Compliance Due to precautions being implemented by employers and employees related to physical proximity associated with COVID-19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that it will exercise discretion to defer the physical presence requirements associated with Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) under Section [...]
DOS announced that in response to COVID-19, it is suspending routine visa services in most countries worldwide. Embassies and consulates in these countries will cancel all routine visa appointments as of March 18, 2020. Check the website of the embassy or consulate for its current operating status.
Effective March 18, USCIS is suspending in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices and Application Support Centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19). This suspension of services will be effective until at least April 1. In the meantime, USCIS will provide limited emergency services. Please call the Contact Center for [...]
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security implemented the inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds final rule on 2/24/2020. Under the final rule, DHS will look at the factors required under the law by Congress, like an alien’s age, health, family status, assets, resources, and financial status, education and skills, among others, in order to determine whether [...]
On January 31, 2020 President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation expanding Travel Ban 3.0 to include certain foreign nationals of the following six countries: Burma (Myanmar), Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. According to the Department of Homeland Security, these additions were based on an assessment from the Department of Homeland Security after reviewing updated [...]
USCIS has compiled data on receipts, completions, RFEs from FY2015 to FY2020 for various employment-based non-immigrant visa categories. Read the statistics here.
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) is making this public service announcement to alert employers and other interested stakeholders that the iCERT System Labor Certification Registry, which provides public access to labor certification decisions in the PERM, LCA, H-2A, and H-2B visa programs, will be decommissioned. Effective February 28, 2020, members of the [...]
DOS final rule governing the issuance of B non-immigrant visas for temporary visitors is effective 1/24/2020. This rule establishes that travel to the United States with the primary purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship for a child by giving birth in the United States is an impermissible basis for the issuance of a B non-immigrant visa. [...]
USCIS announced beginning on Nov. 29, it is adjusting the fee to request premium processing for certain employment-based petitions. The premium processing fee will increase to $1,440 from the current fee of $1,410 for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker.