Effective April 27, 2023, a Department of State (DOS) interim rule will give J-1 sponsors two new options: using digital signature software to sign Certificates of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status (Form DS-2019), and transmitting the form electronically....
Topic: Immigration Updates
DOS Eliminates Separate Column for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras in Visa Bulletin Employment-Based Charts
As announced in its April Visa Bulletin, the Department of State (DOS) is no longer including a separate column covering applicants chargeable to El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras in the charts titled, "Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Cases" and...
DOS to Raise Most Consular Service Fees
Effective May 30, 2023, a Department of State (DOS) final rule raises most consular service fees, although the fee increases are smaller than those proposed in the notice of proposed rulemaking due to revised projections for fiscal year (FY) 2022-2024 demand, DOS...
USCIS Removes 60-Day Rule for Civil Surgeon Signatures on Form I-693
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on March 31, 2023, that it is removing the requirement that civil surgeons sign Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than 60 days before an individual applies...
H-1B Electronic Registration Selection Process Completed
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on March 27, 2023, that it has received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2024 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced...
June 23 is the Deadline for Employers to Download Old E-Verify Case Info
On June 24, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will dispose of E-Verify records that are more than 10 years old (those last updated on or before December 31, 2012). E-Verify employers have until June 23, 2023, to download case information from the...
Mobile Passport Control Available at Canadian Preclearance Locations
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has expanded its Mobile Passport Control (MPC) program to include the Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver Preclearance locations in Canada. This brings MPC availability to 38 air and seaport locations, CBP said. The MPC mobile...
Many Travelers No Longer Receive Admission Stamps in Passports
According to reports, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) expanded a pilot program to eliminate entry stamps (the ink stamp, not the visa stamp) upon admission to the United States, begun in December 2021. Records of admission are now documented online at CBP's...
CDC Ends COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Entry by Air Passengers From China
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is no longer requiring a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 for air passengers traveling to the United States from the People's Republic of China, including the...
CBP Issues Reminder About New Work Permit Cards
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Carrier Liaison Program recently issued a reminder that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began producing redesigned employment authorization documents (EADs) on January 30, 2023. CBP said that the redesigned...
