A new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) interim final rule, effective September 30, 2024, requires persons intending to travel to Guam or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program (G-CNMI VWP) to submit Form...
Topic: Immigration Updates
DOS Provides Guidance, FAQs on Domestic Renewal of H-1B Visas for Certain Applicants
The Department of State (DOS) has released guidance and frequently asked questions on its new pilot program to resume domestic visa renewals for qualified H-1B nonimmigrant visa applicants who meet certain requirements. The pilot program will accept applications from...
DOL Increases Civil Monetary Penalties for Certain Immigration-Related Employer Violations
Effective January 15, 2024, as part of annual inflation adjustments, the Department of Labor (DOL) is increasing D-1, H-1B, H-2A, and H-2B civil monetary penalties it assesses or enforces for employer violations. To compute the 2024 annual adjustment, DOL multiplied...
CBP Updates Website, Provides Trusted Traveler Processing Times
In an effort to reduce unscheduled visits to Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) Enrollment Centers, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has expanded the TTP-related topics on its public website portal to include the ability to select the option "update documents in my...
USCIS Data Show Increase in O-1A and NIW EB-2 Approvals for STEM Activities
According to a newly released report, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data show a sizable overall increase in O-1A petition approvals for individuals engaged in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities and in National...
February Visa Bulletin Notes Expiration of EB-4 Religious Workers Category
The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for February 2024 notes that absent congressional action, the non-minister special immigrant program will expireson February 2, 2024: "No SR visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases,...
Cap Reached for Additional Returning Worker H-2B Visas for First Half of FY 2024
On January 12, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 20,716 H-2B visas made available for returning workers for the first half of fiscal year 2024 with start dates on...
USCIS to Launch Organizational Accounts, Enabling ‘Online Collaboration’ and Submission of H-1B Registrations
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plans to launch organizational accounts for non-cap filings and the fiscal year (FY) 2025 H-1B cap season. Organizational accounts "will allow multiple individuals within an organization, such as a company or other...
Miller Mayer’s Steve Yale-Loehr Quoted re New Texas Immigration Law, Migrant Crisis
Miller Mayer immigration lawyer Steve Yale-Loehr was quoted by the Austin American-Statesman in Texas Democrats in Congress Say SB4 is Unconstitutional. Here's What They're Doing About It [available by subscription]. "They did it in Arizona," Steve said, referring to...
DOS Issues ‘Bright Forecast’ for Worldwide Visa Operations
On January 2, 2024, the Department of State (DOS) announced a "bright forecast" for worldwide visa operations. DOS said its visa processing capacity "has recovered faster than projected. We issued more nonimmigrant visas (NIVs) worldwide in 2023 than in any year since...
