As immigration backlogs grow and the competition for talent increases, there is a growing coalition of technology companies and others such as AILA and the US Chamber of Commerce who are advocating on behalf of children turning 21 and and ageing out of their parent’s green card applications. A letter was recently sent to the… Continue reading Help for Age-Out Children?
Category: US Immigration Policy
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 !
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.
Biden Budget Proposal Good News for Immigration ?
The Biden Administration released its budget proposal and it contains significant increases for many immigration programs included processing services and digital programs. Generally, WH budget proposals are not passed but, can often provide a framework for Congress and at the very least, provides insights to the White House’s current political position.
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
H-4, L-2, and E dependents Win over EAD issues !
This week, the USCIS reached a settlement agreement stemming from a Federal lawsuit brought on behalf of H-4 and L-2 EAD holders. The lawsuit was brought by AILA and a number of partners. The USCIS then released a new policy memo implementing the settlement and also included E dependents. In pertinent part, the new policy… Continue reading H-4, L-2, and E dependents Win over EAD issues !
USCIS Takes it on the Chin
Ever been frustrated by the USCIS and wondered how a government agency can be so inefficient ? You may enjoy reading this briefing from the Migration Policy Institute. This is not a political piece and the lead author is the former INS Commissioner. If this were a movie it would be a tragedy at times… Continue reading USCIS Takes it on the Chin
More H-1b Visas ?
Although the H-1b lottery season is still 6 months away, the high demand for IT workers along with the shortage of qualified workers is causing many to ask the question of whether it is time to raise the H-1b cap ? Although in theory, it would be nice if our politicians would consider market conditions… Continue reading More H-1b Visas ?
Talent Shortage
Recent reports show that hiring demand is high but, there remains a major talent shortage. Check out this recent report from Manpower Group. Although certainly not a panacea, there are a number of workers in the U.S. being prevented from being available in the talent pool due to inefficiencies and outdated policies from the USCIS… Continue reading Talent Shortage
Another Trump Era H-1b Rule is Declared Invalid
Last week, a Federal judge declared the last of the Trump Era (Stephen Miller creations) regulations illegally issued and declared it invalid. This last regulation would’ve changed the way H-1b cap cases were selected moving from a random lottery to a system that selected petitions by salary. This would’ve been a major boost to international… Continue reading Another Trump Era H-1b Rule is Declared Invalid
Chats with Charlie-Visa Bulletin
If you are impacted by the Visa Bulletin issued each month and are curious about the movement of dates forward and backward (retrogression) and are not listening to the monthly youtube live streaming event hosted by the Department of State, I encourage you to start listening. Here is a link to the event held last… Continue reading Chats with Charlie-Visa Bulletin