The USCIS recently announced that they will extend the validity of expiring green cards to 24 mos. from 12 mos. when a person has filed an I-90 to renew. This extension is due to major processing delays in the processing of green card renewals.
Category: Government Agency Actions – USCIS, ICE, etc.
Premium Processing News
The USCIS has announced a further expansion of premium processing for certain EB1 and EB2 NIW petitions already filed and pending. Check the date of your filing to see if you are now eligible to be upgraded.
Improvements to PERM ?
The DOL recently announced a $7.2 million dollar investment to improve the PERM system. The improvements focus on the areas of cybersecurity and technology upgrades. Many of us would love to see some automation, particularly in the area of Prevailing Wage Determinations (PWDs) Why should it take 7 months to determine the correct occupation for… Continue reading Improvements to PERM ?
USCIS Extends 60 Day COVID Rule Again
The USCIS has recently announced that it has extended the 60 day grace period for responding to RFE’s, NOIR’s, NOID’s and other filings if the request/action is issued prior to Oct. 23, 2022.
Qualify for an O visa ?
The USCIS recently updated its Policy Manual (think internal guide for adjudicating petitions) to expand opportunities for STEM workers to obtain O visas. If you have an employee that was not selected in the H-1b lottery and is running out of STEM OPT time, you may want to consider an O petition as opposed to… Continue reading Qualify for an O visa ?
Premium Processing Expanded Again
As of August 1, 2022, the USCIS will accept premium processing upgrade requests for EB1 Multi-National Execs/Mgrs I-140’s filed prior to 7-1-2021 and EB2 NIW I-140’s filed prior to 8-1-2021. The processing time will be 45 days from the date of the premium request.
CIS Report Card
If your performance this year has been pretty deplorable and you want to make yourself feel better because someone is doing far worse, check out this CIS report outlining the processing delays and systemic failures of the USCIS over the past year.
STEM Initiatives from the White House
In stark contrast to the Trump Administration, the Biden Administration has developed a number of immigration related initiatives to encourage opportunities for STEM workers. The American Immigration Council has compiled some information and created a nice FAQ outlining these initiatives. Check them out here.
USCIS Processing Times
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
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.