The USCIS recently changed the information they provide the public relative to processing times for specific filings. They changed from a range of dates to now providing a specific date, which indicates that 80% of cases are adjudicated within this timeframe. The USCIS has created an FAQ that provides more information. For most immigration law… Continue reading USCIS Processing Times
Category: Government Agency Actions – USCIS, ICE, etc.
Great News for EAD Renewals !
The USCIS has issued a Temporary Final Rule that extends the automatic renewal time period for EAD renewals from 180 days to 540 days. This new rule, which takes effect on May 4, 2022 applies to all classes of EAD cards that are currently entitled to an automatic extension. The current list can be found… Continue reading Great News for EAD Renewals !
TPS Announced for Ukraine and Sudan
The DHS has officially announced the designation of Ukraine and Sudan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) This will allow persons covered to have work authorizations for up to 18 months without the need for corporate sponsorship.
More Premium Processing Coming Soon ?
A Final Rule has been released which will authorize the USCIS to expand premium processing to I-539, I-765, and more classes of I-140 applicants. There is no effective date nor further details but, this publication in the Federal Register is a necessary step for these actions to take place.
COVID Relief, again
The USCIS has announced that they are again providing an additional 60 days to respond to RFEs, NOID’s, etc as part of its attempts to provide COVID relief to its stakeholders.
USCIS Case Slow ?
Are you experiencing slow processing of your USCIS case ? Of course, you are ! Every case that is not being processed under the premium processing program is experiencing ridiculously long waits with some routine cases eg. I-539 extensions and EAD renewals, taking over one year ! In light of this, the USCIS has announced… Continue reading USCIS Case Slow ?
CBP Update for L-2 and E-2 holders
As of Jan 31, 2022, CBP has begun to annotate the passports/I-94 records of L-2 and E-2 holders with an annotation which indicates they are eligible to be employed. This change is a result of Federal litigation which caused the USCIS to admit that dependents of E and L holders are work authorized incident to… Continue reading CBP Update for L-2 and E-2 holders
Good News for STEM Workers
STEM workers have now been given more opportunities to work and immigrate to the U.S. The DHS added 22 additional STEM fields to the list of those programs that are eligible for the 24 mo. STEM OPT EAD extension. They include such fields as Human-Centered Technology Design, Data Science, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, and Business… Continue reading Good News for STEM Workers
USCIS Extends Grace, Again
The USCIS has announced that it will once again, extend the deadline for responses to RFE’s, NOID’s, NOIR’s etc by 60 days due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.
EAD Expedite for Healthcare Workers
This week, the USCIS Public Engagement office announced that it will immediately begin to expedite the issuance of EAD’s for healthcare workers if: You have a pending Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal application ; and Your EAD is expiring within 30 days or less, or has already expired: Please call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 to request expedited processing of your EAD renewal application. If your EAD renewal is pending… Continue reading EAD Expedite for Healthcare Workers
Settlement Highlights Importance of HR Training
In a real-world example of how a misunderstanding of how to conduct employment eligibility verification, the Department of Justice recently published a settlement agreement that demonstrates how a nuanced requirement for human resource professionals can be quite costly to the organization at large. Recently, the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) of the Civil Rights… Continue reading Settlement Highlights Importance of HR Training