On December 18, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) announced that passport processing times have returned to the agency's pre-pandemic norm. As of December 18, 2023, DOS said, passport applications will be processed within 6 to 8 weeks for routine service and 2 to 3...
Topic: Immigration Updates
State Dept. Expands Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waivers
On December 21, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) announced that as of January 1, 2024, consular officers will have discretion to waive in-person interviews for: First time H-2 visa applicants (temporary agricultural and nonagricultural workers) and Other...
USCIS Updates Policy Guidance for International Students
On December 20, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued policy guidance regarding F and M nonimmigrant students, including the agency's role in adjudicating applications for employment authorization, change of status, extension of stay, and...
DOL Reminds Employers About Deadlines for Upcoming H-2B Filing Season
On December 22, 2023, the Department of Labor's Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) reminded employers that the filing window to submit an H-2B Application for Temporary Employment Certification (Form ETA-9142B and appendices) requesting work start dates of...
State Dept. Announces Pilot Program to Resume Domestic H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Renewals
On December 21, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) announced a pilot program to resume domestic visa renewal for qualified H-1B nonimmigrant visa applicants who meet certain requirements. The pilot program will accept applications from January 29 to April 1, 2024....
Miller Mayer’s Steve Yale-Loehr Quoted re Public Benefits for Immigrants
Miller Mayer immigration attorney Steve Yale-Loehr was quoted by the Cornell Chronicle in Research Team Led by Dr. Gunisha Kaur Wins 2023 National Academy of Medicine Catalyst Prize. The article discusses Dr. Kaur's winning research project, Digital Solutions to...
January Visa Bulletin Released; Religious Workers Category Extended
The Department of State's Visa Bulletin for January 2024 notes that H.R. 6363, a stopgap funding bill signed on November 16, 2023, extended the employment fourth preference Certain Religious Workers (SR) category until February 2, 2024. The bulletin notes that no SR...
ETA Seeks Information on STEM and Non-STEM Occupations in PERM Schedule A
The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is seeking information from the public to potentially consider revisions to Schedule A of the permanent labor certification process to include occupations in Science, Technology, Engineering and...
District Court Rules in College’s Favor in EB-1 Case
In Scripps College v. Jaddou, a U.S. District Court in Nebraska held that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) improperly denied a green card petition when it found that the beneficiary of the petition did not qualify for an employment-based first...
DHS Publishes Federal Register Notice Reiterating Extensions of TPS Re-Registration Periods for Several Countries
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Federal Register notice on December 13, 2023, reiterating extensions of the periods to re-register for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under the existing designations of El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal,...
