On May 10, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) withdrew a proposed rule published on November 19, 2020, that would have revised DHS regulations to eliminate work authorization for individuals who have final orders of removal and are released from DHS...
Topic: Immigration Updates
President Biden Raises Refugee Cap to 62,500 in FY 2021
President Joe Biden revised the United States' annual refugee admissions cap to 62,500 for fiscal year (FY) 2021, with a goal of 125,000 admissions for FY 2022. The announcement followed criticism after he announced plans to keep the number of refugee admissions at...
Miller Mayer Memo: Nonimmigrant Alternatives to the H-1B Visa
The fiscal year (FY) 2022 H-1B initial registration selection process is completed, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received enough registrations to reach the FY 2022 H-1B numerical allocation (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption (master's...
Miller Mayer Receives Green Card Petition Approval for Doctor From India
Miller Mayer recently received a green card petition approval for a doctor from India. Receiving a petition approval is a critical step toward the long term residence and employment plans of doctors in the United States. Miller Mayer has extensive experience working...
Miller Mayer’s Steve Yale-Loehr Quoted re Supreme Court Decision, Biden’s First 100 Days
Miller Mayer immigration attorney Steve Yale-Loehr was quoted by Reuters in "U.S. Supreme Court Hands Victory to Immigrants Facing Deportation." The article appeared in many news outlets. He said the ruling gives immigrants "a second chance to try to prove that they...
State Dept. Announces Tiered Immigrant Visa Prioritization
On April 30, 2021, the Department of State (DOS) announced a tiered prioritization approach to "triage" immigrant visa applications in light of reduced operating capacity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The main categories of immigrant visas in priority order...
USCIS Reverses Trump Policy, Instructs Adjudicators to Resume Granting Deference to Prior Determinations in Petition Validity Extension Requests
Effective immediately, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its policy guidance on April 27, 2021, to generally restore its 2004 instructions directing officers to defer to prior determinations of eligibility when adjudicating petition extensions...
Supreme Court Rules Against Government on Removal Procedures
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on April 29, 2021, that "[n]onpermanent resident aliens ordered removed from the United States under federal immigration law may be eligible for discretionary relief if, among other things, they can establish their continuous presence in...
State Dept. Announces Global National Interest Exceptions to COVID-19 Travel Restrictions
On April 27, 2021, the Department of State (DOS) announced national interest exceptions to all regional travel restrictions currently in effect as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. DOS said that students seeking to start studies in the fall, certain academics,...
President Biden Suspends Entry of Noncitizens/Non-LPRs Traveling From India; U.S. Mission in India Limits Visa Services
President Biden has issued a proclamation suspending the entry of non-U.S. citizens who were physically present within India during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States, with some exceptions. The proclamation takes effect...
