The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process, or if already pending, when the final step can be adjudicated.

Continue Reading July 2022 Visa Bulletin – After Months of Stagnation, EB-2 China Advances One Month

COVID travel restrictions may be improving, but the most recent update to the Department of State’s Visa Wait Times confirms that there are still very serious, ongoing visa appointment delays resulting from the pandemic.

Continue Reading Visa Stamp Delays: US Consulates Publish Increased Wait Times to Schedule Appointments

Stage 1 of USCIS’s previously announced Premium Processing Expansion program is set to begin on June 1, 2022. Stage 1 will focus on I-140 petitions and will be rolled out in phases, with only long-pending cases eligible to upgrade to premium processing in the coming months. 

Continue Reading Premium Processing Will Soon Be Available for EB-1C and EB-2 NIW I-140 Petitions

The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process, or if already pending, when the final step can be adjudicated.

Continue Reading June 2022 Visa Bulletin – EB-2 India Advances One Year

USCIS announced that effective May 4, 2022, certain categories of Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”) applicants will be eligible for an additional extension of automatic work authorization, beyond that to which they are already entitled.

Continue Reading Automatic Extension of Work Authorization Further Extended for Certain EAD Applicants

The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process, or if already pending, when the final step can be adjudicated.

Continue Reading May 2022 Visa Bulletin – EB-2 India Continues to Advance (Slowly)

A new rule, “Implementation of the Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act,” published in the Federal Register on March 30, 2022, will open the popular USCIS “premium processing” service to new categories of immigration filings that are currently subject to extraordinarily long backlogs.  USCIS will roll out the expansions in stages.

Continue Reading USCIS To Expand Premium Processing Service Over Next Several Years

In the newest sequel to the Shergill v. Mayorkas settlement, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has now updated its Policy Manual to address documents that E and L nonimmigrant spouses may show their employers to prove their work eligibility.

Continue Reading USCIS Updates Policy Manual for E/L Spouses’ Work Authorization Documents

The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process, or if already pending, when the final step can be adjudicated.

Continue Reading April 2022 Visa Bulletin – Final Action Dates Remain Stalled, but Dates for Filing Rapidly Advance for EB-2 India

Ukraine

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Ukraine has been designated for “Temporary Protected Status” (TPS) for 18 months due to the invasion by Russia and ongoing conflict.

To qualify, Ukrainian nationals must have continuously resided in the United States as of March 1, 2022, and must apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within 180 days (until August 28, 2022). TPS applicants may also apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) allowing them to work lawfully in the United States.

Continue Reading DHS Announces Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine and Redesignates TPS for South Sudan