The Department of Labor's Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has released: A comprehensive set of public disclosure data through the final quarter of fiscal year 2022 drawn from employer applications requesting prevailing wage determinations and labor...
Topic: Immigration Updates
State Dept. Announces Diversity Visa Reassignment Procedures for Kabul
The Department of State announced on November 18, 2022, that all operations are suspended at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Diversity visa (DV) selectees for the 2023 DV program year with a case assigned to U.S. Embassy Kabul should request reassignment to...
USCIS Releases Tips on Avoiding Paper Filing-Related Delays
On November 16, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released tips to avoid paper filing-related scanning delays. USCIS said it scans and uploads many documents into electronic database systems as it moves toward an increasing electronic...
Inspector General Releases Annual Statement on State Dept.’s Major Management and Performance Challenges
The Department of State's (DOS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its annual statement on November 18, 2022, on DOS's major management and performance challenges. The latest report noted that OIG's recent review of the Bureau of Consular Affairs' ConsularOne...
Visa Bulletin for December 2022 Includes Many Updates
The Department of State's Visa Bulletin for December 2022 includes a variety of updates: The estimated employment-based annual limit will be 197,000 for fiscal year (FY) 2023. Establishment of final action dates and application filing dates for China and India will be...
Title 42 Policy Blocked Effective December 21
On November 15, 2022, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan blocked the Title 42 policy that has resulted in more than a million migrants being turned away at the southern U.S. border. The same night, the Department of Justice filed a motion to stay the order for...
President Biden Accepts Resignation of CBP Commissioner
On November 12, 2022, President Joe Biden accepted the resignation of Chris Magnus, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner. He had initially refused to step down after Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, reportedly told Mr. Magnus on November...
State Dept. Announces Full Resumption of Interviews for All Immigrant Visa Categories in Havana in January 2023
The Department of State (DOS) announced on November 10, 2022, that the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, will resume full immigrant visa processing beginning on January 4, 2023. The U.S. Embassy Georgetown in Guyana will continue to process Cuban immigrant visa applicants...
CIS Ombudsman Introduces Revised Form for Requesting Case Assistance
The Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman released an updated Form 7001, Request for Case Assistance. The updated form, which expires on September 30, 2025, includes embedded instructions with questions, expanded and reorganized sections, detailed...
E-Verify Issues Reminder to Employers and Program Administrators on Terminating User Accounts
E-Verify recently reminded employers and program administrators that an E-Verify user's access "must be promptly terminated upon separation from your organization." A good practice, E-Verify said, is to review and update existing users whenever staffing changes occur...
