In response to a federal court order in Padilla Construction Company v. Walsh, the Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) plans to rescind H-2B registration requirements and propose conforming edits throughout its H-2B regulations. In...
Topic: Immigration Updates
USCIS Accepting Only 8/19/22 Edition of N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions
As of November 21, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is accepting only the 8/19/22 edition of Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions. USCIS revised the form and removed several questions, including dates of diagnosis and when...
OFLC Releases FAQs on Prevailing Wage Surveys Under 2022 H-2A Final Rule
The Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has released frequently asked questions (FAQs) on prevailing wage surveys under the 2022 H-2A final rule, "Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in the United States,"...
Dept. of Labor Announces Additional Listening Sessions on H-2A Program
The Department of Labor (DOL) previously announced that it intends to engage in additional rulemaking concerning the H-2A visa program for the temporary agricultural employment of foreign workers. DOL initially announced it would conduct two public virtual listening...
USCIS Announces Expedited Work Authorization Processing, Expanded Fee Exemptions for Afghans
On November 22, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it is extending and expanding previously announced fee exemptions and expedited application processing for certain Afghan nationals through September 30, 2023. Fee exemptions include: An...
USCIS Says Certain Afghan and Ukrainian Parolees Are Immediately Work Authorized
Effective November 21, 2022, certain Afghan and Ukrainian parolees are work authorized incident to their parole status based on recently passed laws, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced. To implement the statutory language, "other benefits...
OFLC Releases Public Disclosure Data, Selected Program Statistics, H-2B Foreign Labor Recruiter List for Q4 of FY 2022
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...
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...
