The Department of State (DOS) has released the February Visa Bulletin and the Final Action Date chart was virtually unchanged. The notable exception was further retrogression of the ROW Other Worker category which moved back 6 mos. to Jan 1, 2020. The Dates for Filing chart saw some forward movement with a big jump of… Continue reading February Visa Bulletin
Author: Mike Hammond
I-485 RFE’s for Medical Exams
It is being widely reported that the USCIS is issuing RFE’s in pending I-485 cases for medical exams that have already been filed. This practice is likely a Service error and advocacy organizations like AILA are working on a resolution. Our recommendation is that if your priority date is current under the Final Action Date… Continue reading I-485 RFE’s for Medical Exams
Filing Fee Increases ?
The USCIS has published a proposed rule that would increase filing fees for most immigration filings. The fee increases are huge with the L petition cost going up by over 200% and the H-1b over 70%. I-485 filings would double from $1225 to $2820 and H-1b registrations form $10 to $215. The new fees will… Continue reading Filing Fee Increases ?
Visa Interview Waivers Extended
The Department of State ( DOS), has extended until December 31, 2023, the previously approved policy allowing consular officers to waive the in-person interview for certain visa applicants which include H-1, H-4, L, O, and P among others, who meet certain conditions, including that they are applying for a visa in their country of nationality… Continue reading Visa Interview Waivers Extended
January Visa Bulletin
The Department of State (DOS) has released the January Visa Bulletin and the best thing that can be said is that no change is better than bad change ? Virtually all dates in both the Final Action date chart and the Dates for Filing chart remained the same. The notable exception was that EB1 dates… Continue reading January Visa Bulletin
Public Charge Rule Goes into Effect
The USCIS has announced that its public charge rule will go into effect on Dec 23, 2022. This has the practical result of requiring all I-485 applications in process but, not yet filed to be re-done to use the new I-485 form version that was just released. For employment based applicants, there should be little… Continue reading Public Charge Rule Goes into Effect
Trying to Help Laid-off H-1b IT Workers ?
Are you an IT staffing company with a bunch of unfilled needs who saw the recent lay-offs at twitter and other tech firms and the plight of its H-1b workers and thought, hey I can help ! I can hire those laid-off H-1b workers during their 60 day grace period and help out my labor… Continue reading Trying to Help Laid-off H-1b IT Workers ?
Behind the Scenes at the DOS
For an interesting look at the inner workings of the Department of State (DOS) and in particular, Consular Affairs, check out this article. Kudos to all government workers trying to do the right thing and upholding the law.
USCIS Progress Report
The USCIS recently released its Fiscal year 2022 Progress Report touting the agencies accomplishments and grand plans for the future. Read a bit of sarcasm into the sentence above.
Federal Reserve Chair Takes Aim at Trump/Miller
In a recent speech, Federal Reserve Board Chair Powell directly charged the Trump era anti-legal immigration policies for having a continued negative effect on the U.S. economy. The anti-immigrant policies created by Stephen Miller and implemented by the Trump Administration reduced the number of high-skilled, healthcare, and STEM workers being admitted into the U.S. The… Continue reading Federal Reserve Chair Takes Aim at Trump/Miller
DOL Processing Delays
In response to inquiries from AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association) regarding the ever lengthening processing delays for PWD’s (prevailing wage determinations), the DOL provided several reasons including: higher volume, impact of increased filings for H-2b cases, and the implementation of the new SOC codes which went into effect on July 1st. With respect to the… Continue reading DOL Processing Delays