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.

Below is a summary of the March Visa Bulletin, including Final Action Dates and changes from the previous month.

China:  EB-1 remains current; EB-2 freezes at March 1, 2019; and EB-3 remains stalled at March 22, 2018

India:   EB-1 remains current; EB-2 moves forward four months to May 1, 2013; and EB-3 remains frozen at January 15, 2012.

All Other Countries:  EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 remain current

NOTE:  USCIS has not yet announced if it will accept I-485 applications in March based on the Department of State’s slightly more favorable Dates for Filing chart.

Following the settlement of a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) lawsuit that finally recognizes that dependent L and E spouses are able to work lawfully incident to their status, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) updated its admission system to designate on the I-94 admission records those spouses who are authorized to work without applying for an EAD.  L and E spouses should be admitted with an “S” after their status to indicate that they are spouses authorized to work.  The new I-94s do not explicitly state “work authorized”, but the “S” designation tells employers for I-9 purposes that they are authorized to work for the validity of their I-94s.  Continue Reading CBP Now Issuing Work-Authorized I-94s for L and E Spouses

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 February 2022 Visa Bulletin –EB-2 India Advances Six Months

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 January 2022 Visa Bulletin – Minor Changes for the New Year

On November 12, 2021, in settling a federal lawsuit pending since March, US Citizenship & Immigration Services agreed to two significant changes that will have a major impact on the lives of nonimmigrant workers and their families in the US.

Continue Reading USCIS Settles Major Federal Lawsuit: Good News for E, H and L Spouses

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 December 2021 Visa Bulletin –EB-2 China and India Slowly Advance

As we previously reported, President Biden is rescinding the international travel restrictions that have drastically hindered US business and tourist travel for almost 2 years.  Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, November 8, 2021, travelers will no longer need a valid National Interest Exception if they have been in China, Iran, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, or India within the past 14 days.  Instead, they – and all air travelers to the US, with some very limited exceptions – will have to prove they are “fully vaccinated” before boarding a US-bound flight.

Continue Reading US Opens Flights to Fully Vaccinated Travelers – What Does It Mean for You and Your Family?

On October 15, the White House and State Department announced that, beginning November 8, foreign travelers may board US-bound flights or cross US land borders without first obtaining National Interest Exceptions, as long as they can prove they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Continue Reading US To Admit Fully Vaccinated Travelers Without NIEs Starting November 8

News sources are reporting that, on September 20, Jeff Zients, White House Covid Response Coordinator, announced easing of restrictions on direct entry into the US by fully vaccinated international travelers.  Few details are available as of this writing.

Continue Reading The end of NIEs is Nigh – Biden’s Covid Team Announces Travel Restrictions to be Lifted in November

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 October 2021 Visa Bulletin – A Disappointing Start to the New Fiscal Year