Reliable sources have been reporting a wave of denials of J-1 visas for international medical graduates (IMGs) applying at U.S. consular posts in Pakistan. The scenario involves Pakistani physicians requesting J-1 exchange visitor visas to begin U.S. medical residency programs at teaching hospitals in the...
This afternoon, the U.S. Senate passed a spending bill to fund the federal government through September 30, 2017, which is the last day of fiscal year 2017. The House passed the spending bill yesterday. The bill now goes to the President, who is expected to...
On Saturday, December 10, 2016, President Obama signed into law a continuing resolution designed to fund the federal government through April 28, 2017. Included in the spending bill were various immigration provisions, including an extension of the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) regional center program, the...
On November 25, 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice of a proposed revision to the collection of information for USCIS Form I-612, Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement. The I-612 is required under Section 212(e) of the Immigration...
Answer The NIW and the J-1 (Conrad) waivers serve two different purposes. The NIW is a green card filing that waives the requirement of a PERM labor in the GC process. The Conrad 30 waives the J-1 2-year home residency requirement (HRR) for physicians. People subject...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has adopted a decision of the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) addressing the requirements for medical specialists seeking a physician-specific national interest waiver (NIW). This solidifies a long-standing practice by the USCIS, which allows all physicians, both primary care...
Answer There is not a nurse-specific nonimmigrant category. This is a long-standing problem. Some (but certainly not all) RNs qualify for H1B status. They must have bachelor's degrees and work in the limited types of nursing jobs that require the 4-year degree as a minimum requirement....
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed that the Vermont Service Center (VSC) is experiencing delays in issuing J-1 waiver approval notices. This is creating problems for J-1 physicians who need these notices from the VSC in order to proceed with the waiver...
On July 11, 2014, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrant Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum that provides updated guidance to adjudicators to determine whether a particular nursing position meets the H1B category's specialty occupation requirement. This issue was last addressed by the USCIS in 2002. The...
As explained in our NewsBrief, EB5 Regional Center Program extended to Sep 2015 (22.Oct.2012), there were four immigration programs that were recently extended beyond their slated September 30, 2012 expiration. The three remaining programs extended through September 30, 2015 are: the "non-minister" Religious Worker Program...
