Keeping you informed on the latest immigration news.
Lee Cissna Confirmed as Director of USCIS
The U.S. Senate confirmed Lee Francis Cissna as director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on October 5, 2017. The vote was 55-43 in favor of Mr. Cissna's confirmation. Mr. Cissna most recently helped write the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2015, a bill...
Kirstjen Nielsen Nominated as Secretary of Homeland Security
On October 12, 2017, President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Kirstjen Nielsen for the position of Secretary of Homeland Security. Ms. Nielsen is currently the White House principal deputy chief of staff. She was John Kelly's deputy when he served as...
They Can’t Go Home Again: Undocumented Aliens and Access to U.S. Higher Education
By Ellen Badger, Bob Ericksen and Stephen Yale-Loehr Note: This article is an expanded version of an article written by Ellen Badger and Stephen Yale-Loehr that appeared in the May 15, 2000 edition of Bender’s Immigration Bulletin. It contains material used by the...
What to Expect when Consular Processing for Your Immigrant Visa
What happens first? For applicants who elected to consular process on their immigrant visa petition (Form I-130/I-140/I-526), the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will notify the National Visa Center (NVC) to begin consular processing after USCIS...
Documenting Status after CPR Card Expiration (I-829/I-751 Filings)
A conditional permanent resident, whether by marriage or employment, must file a petition to remove the conditions on his/her permanent resident status within the 90-day window preceding the second anniversary of his/her receipt of conditional resident status. A...
NVC Timeline for Consular Processing Post I-526, I-140 or I-130 Approval
NVC File Receipt Approximately 60 days after I-526/I-140/I-130 approval, NVC sends a notice stating that they have received the approved petition from USCIS. This ‘NVC File Receipt’ notice contains the USDOS case number (e.g. GZO followed by ten digits), as well as...
FY2017 I-924A Annual Filing Reminder
Reminder! Form I-924A is a required annual filing to certify and demonstrate a regional center’s continued eligibility for its regional center designation. For fiscal year 2017, all regional centers must file a Form I-924A with USCIS by December 29, 2017 to report...
Work Authorization for H-4 Dependent Spouses
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will approve Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B workers. For dependent spouses to qualify for employment authorization, the H-1B spouse must...
Advice to Employers upon Termination of an H-1B Employee
H-1B employers have certain obligations upon termination of an H-1B worker. Termination occurs when wages and benefits, as reflected in the H-1B employee’s Labor Condition Application (“LCA”), are no longer being paid or offered. Typically, this would be the day the...
E-3 Specialty Occupation Visa for Australians
For Australian college students or professionals looking to work in the U.S., the E-3 visa offers a significantly preferable option to the H-1B. To qualify for an E-3 visa, an applicant must demonstrate that: S/he has a legitimate offer of employment in the United...
