The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a report, criticizing the USCIS for not effectively managing the U visa program. In the report, the OIG proposes five recommendations for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)...
Answer Ordinarily, if an employee is abroad, the employer may file the H1B extension for consular notification. In that situation, the USCIS can approve the petition, but will not issue a new I-94. Instead, once the foreign national enters the U.S. with the approved petition (and...
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has lifted the non-essential travel restrictions that were in place at the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico land borders since early in the pandemic. This broad travel restriction is replaced...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has withdrawn a final rule promulgated during the final days of the Trump Administration, which would have replaced the H1B lottery registration system with one that prioritizes cases filed based on wage level. The withdrawal comes after several...
A group of twenty-three Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, urging him to take steps to reduce processing times for applications for employment authorization (form I-765) filed by H-4...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued policy guidance, to revise the rules regarding employment authorization for E, L-2, and certain H-4 nonimmigrant dependent spouses. The new policy is especially beneficial for E and L-2 dependent spouses, who no longer need to apply...
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) announced today that a settlement has been reached with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) related to work authorization for L-2 and certain H-4 dependent spouses.The official text of the settlement agreement has not yet been posted. However,...
Effective November 8, 2021, the Biden Administration is rescinding the COVID-19 related travel restrictions based on several presidential proclamations. In its place, President Biden has issued a proclamation that requires nearly all nonimmigrant international air travelers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before being admitted...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a centralized traveler redress program intended to help individuals who have had problems during the travel screening process. The program, known as the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, or “DHS TRIP,” provides a single point of contact...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking intended to preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA was initially created in 2012 by the Obama Administration, and it provides certain temporary protections and benefits...
