NEWS
USCIS Extends COVID-19-related Flexibilities
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending certain COVID-19-related flexibilities through March 23, 2023. Under these flexibilities, USCIS considers a response received within 60 calendar days after the due date set forth in the following requests or notices before taking [...]
April 2023 Visa Bulletin
April 2023 Visa Bulletin is now available. Adjustment of Status Filing Charts For Family-Sponsored Filings:For all family-sponsored preference categories, you must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for April 2023. For Employment-Based Preference [...]
USCIS Issues Guidance on an Employer’s Ability to Pay
USCIS is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address the analysis of an employer’s ability to pay the proffered wage for certain employment-based immigrant petition adjudications.
State Department Plans Pilot for Domestic Visa Renewal
The State Department will launch a pilot program later this year offering visa renewal options in the US for H-1B specialty occupation workers and other temporary visa holders who are currently required to travel abroad.
Options for Nonimmigrant Workers Following Termination of Employment
USCIS is providing information for nonimmigrant workers whose employment has terminated, either voluntarily or involuntarily. These workers may have several options for remaining in the United States in a period of authorized stay based on existing rules and regulations. READ [...]
March 2023 Visa Bulletin
March 2023 Visa Bulletin is now available. Adjustment of Status Filing Charts For Family-Sponsored Filings:For all family-sponsored preference categories, you must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for March 2023. For Employment-Based Preference [...]
Will You Make the H-1B CAP in 2023?!
On March 12, 2008, Bill Gates appeared before Congress and testified that the H-1B CAP “is arbitrarily set and bears no relation to the U.S. economy's demand for skilled professionals.” He also famously urged Congress to increase the H-1B CAP [...]
FY 2024 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens on March 1 – $10 FEE REMAINS UNCHANGED
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2024 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 1 and run through noon Eastern on March 17, 2023. During this period, prospective petitioners [...]
USCIS Announces Final Phase of Premium Processing Expansion [EB-1C – Now, F-1 OPT (coming)]
USCIS announced that: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is implementing the final phase of the premium processing expansion for Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, under the EB-1 and EB-2 classifications. Unlike previous phases of the expansion, this phase [...]
H-1B CAP Registration Fee of $10 May Remain the Same for 2023
The proposed fee increase announced recently by the USCIS is currently in the 60-day comment period which ends on March 6, 2023. If there are enough comments to offset some of the increases, there could be delays while the USCIS [...]
USCIS Issues Proposed Rule to Adjust Certain Immigration and Naturalization Fees
The proposed fee rule is the result of a comprehensive fee review at USCIS. That review determined that the agency’s current fees, which have remained unchanged since 2016, fall far short of recovering the full cost of agency operations. USCIS [...]
Proposed Fee Rule Frequently Asked Questions
USCIS conducted a comprehensive fee review as we are required to do every two years by federal law and determined that current fees do not recover the full cost of providing adjudication and naturalization services. Therefore, the Department of Homeland [...]
List of USCIS Forms and Fee Increases
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to adjust certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees charged by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Written comments must be submitted on this proposed rule on or before March 6, 2023. The [...]
Let us Show you the R-O-P-Es! Additional Nonimmigrant Visa Options for Specific Purposes
Kidambi & Associates offers clients a variety of options when it comes to visa processing. Our knowledge and experience extend to additional nonimmigrant visa options that may fit your needs. Here are a few that we would like to discuss [...]
USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2023 H-1B Cap
USCIS 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, for fiscal year (FY) 2023. We have [...]
When Not to File an Amended H-1B Petition
In May 2015, the USCIS issued draft guidance following a precedent decision in Matter or Simeio Solutions, LLC (26 I&N Dec. 542 (AAO 2015)) on when to file amended H-1B petitions. However, in 2020 following the IT Serve Alliance case, [...]
USCIS Increases Automatic Extension Period of Work Permits for Certain Applicants
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a Temporary Final Rule (TFR) that increases the automatic extension period for employment authorization and Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), available to certain EAD renewal applicants, to up to 540 days. The increase, which will be effective [...]
USCIS Service Center Expands Credit Card Payment Pilot Program to All Forms
As part of USCIS’ credit card payment pilot program, the USCIS service centers are now accepting credit card payments using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, for all forms. The goal of this pilot is to bring USCIS one [...]
Reminder: DHS To End COVID-19 Temporary Policy for Expired List B Identity Documents
DHS is ending the COVID-19 Temporary Policy for List B Identity Documents. Beginning May 1, Employers will no longer be able to accept expired List B documents. DHS adopted the temporary policy in response to the difficulties many individuals experienced [...]
7 Things to Know About the H-1B CAP
The registration process for the H-1B FY2022 lottery begins shortly, and we have some tips and general guidelines for those looking to file this year. Our office is happy to assist you with these filings at no charge (except the [...]