Keeping you informed on the latest immigration news.
USCIS Issues Guidance on Eligibility for O-1B Visa Classification
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued policy guidance on March 3, 2023, effective immediately, clarifying how it evaluates evidence to determine eligibility for O-1B nonimmigrants of extraordinary ability in the arts and nonimmigrants of...
DOS Issues Final Rule Updating Regulation on Signed Photos for Visa Processing
Effective April 5, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) is updating its regulation regarding visa applicants' furnishing of signed photographs as required under the Immigration and Nationality Act § 221(b). DOS said the updates reflect changes in technology, including...
USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for Second Half of FY 2023, Announces Filing Dates for Supplemental Visas
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on March 2, 2023, that it has received enough petitions to meet the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the second half of fiscal year (FY) 2023. USCIS also announced the filing dates for supplemental H-2B...
USCIS to Start Collecting Hefty Fees for EB-5 Integrity Fund
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Federal Register notice on March 2, 2023, announcing annual fees to be collected for the EB-5 Integrity Fund. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it will use the fund primarily to administer the...
Miller Mayer’s Steve Yale-Loehr Quoted re Proposed Asylum Restrictions
Miller Mayer immigration attorney Steve Yale-Loehr was quoted by Univision in " 'Cruel,' 'Illegal,' 'Immoral,' 'Disappointment' … Rain of Criticism Regarding Biden's New Asylum Immigration Policy at the Border." Mr. Yale-Loehr said about the new proposed asylum rule,...
USCIS Requests Comments on Proposed Revision of Nonimmigrant Petition Based on a Blanket L Petition
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) seeks comments on a proposed revision of the nonimmigrant petition based on a blanket L intracompany transferee petition. USCIS explained that employers seeking to classify employees outside the United States as...
DHS Extends Comment Period for Fee Rule; USCIS Releases Fact Sheet on Fee Waivers for Naturalization Applications
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended by five days, to March 13, 2023, the comment period for a rule published on January 4, 2023, proposing to change the fee schedule for certain immigration benefits. DHS said the extension was due to technical...
F and M Student Visas Can Be Issued Up To a Year in Advance, State Dept. Says
The Department of State (DOS) announced that F and M student visas for new students now can be issued up to 365 days before the start date for a course of study. However, the student cannot enter the United States on a student visa more than 30 days before the start...
USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance for Individuals Authorized to Work Under Special Student Relief Provisions
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released policy guidance to clarify the validity period of employment authorization for F-1 nonimmigrant students experiencing severe economic hardship due to emergent circumstances (also known as special student...
Biden Administration Proposes Controversial Rule on ‘Temporary’ Measures to Limit Asylum at Southwest Border
The Biden administration issued a new proposed rule that it called "temporary," which would introduce a "rebuttable presumption of asylum ineligibility for certain noncitizens who neither avail themselves of a lawful, safe, and orderly pathway to the United States nor...
