The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that non-U.S. citizens can apply for a Social Security number (SSN) or replacement SSN card on the same forms used to apply for permission to work in the United States (Form I-765) or for lawful permanent resident...
Topic: Immigration Updates
EB-5 Regional Center Program Lapse Strands Investors
The lapse in the EB-5 regional center program has had a major impact on certain investors. According to a report from IIUSA: Invest in the USA, the lapse is hurting more than 32,000 stranded EB-5 investors, putting at least $15 billion in capital investment and more...
USCIS Extends Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is extending certain flexibilities it originally announced in March 2020 to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors. This flexibility applies to the documents listed...
Biden Admin Announces New Policy: Vaccines, Testing Required for International Travelers to United States
The Biden administration announced on September 20, 2021, a major easing of pandemic travel restrictions that will allow fully vaccinated travelers to enter the United States beginning in November 2021. Under the new policy, all foreign travelers flying to the United...
Miller Mayer’s Steve Yale-Loehr Quoted re Immigration Provisions in House Bill
Miller Mayer immigration attorney Steve Yale-Loehr was recently quoted by the Washington Times in "Democrats Maneuver Behind the Scenes to Secure Amnesty Provisions in Biden's $3.5T Spending Bill." In sum, to succeed, Democrats must thread a very thick...
Haitians Stream to U.S.-Mexico Border; Administration Plans Flights Out
According to news reports, an estimated 15,000 Haitian migrants have converged in Del Rio, located in Texas at the border with Mexico, along with several thousand migrants from other countries. The nearest major city is San Antonio. Biden administration officials told...
FY 2022 H-2B Cap Count Updated
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its "approximate" cap count for H-2B visas for fiscal year (FY) 2022. The agency received 26,123 petitions toward the 33,000 cap for the first half of FY 2022, with 21,096 approved and 5,027 pending. USCIS said...
USCIS Expands Credit Card Payment Pilot Program to Texas Service Center
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the Texas Service Center is now accepting credit card payments using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, for petitioners filing Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, with...
COVID-19 Vaccination Required for Immigration Medical Exams
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective October 1, 2021, applicants subject to the immigration medical examination must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the civil surgeon can complete the exam and sign Form I-693, Report...
Diversity Visa 2021 Update: State Dept Ordered to “Expeditiously Process” DV-2021 Applications by Sept. 30
On September 9, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia preliminarily enjoined the Department of State (DOS) from applying November 2020 prioritization policy guidance to diversity visa (DV) 2021 applicants and ordered DOS to undertake good-faith...
