John F. Kelly Sworn in as New Secretary of DHS
Retired Marine Corps General John F. Kelly was officially sworn in as the fifth Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on January 20, 2016. Secretary Kelly replaces former...
View ArticleU.S. Citizen Sponsorship of a Foreign National Fiancé/e or Spouse
In the United States, Valentine’s Day often brings with it an increase in marriage proposals. U.S. immigration law has long-valued the idea of family unity. And, to that end, a U.S. citizen (USC)...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Trump to Issue New Executive Order Related to Travel Ban Next Week
Today, President Trump stated that he will be “issuing a new executive action next week that will comprehensively protect our country.” He further vowed to appeal the court decision that is currently...
View ArticleOverview of March 2017 Visa Bulletin Overview and Short-Term Predictions
There are no real surprises in the March 2017 Visa Bulletin. There is no movement in the dates for filing (DF) chart, and the final action (FA) chart advances are about what was expected. This month’s...
View ArticleLeaked DHS Memos Detail How Executive Orders Will Be Implemented
On Friday, two memos were signed by John Kelly, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that detail how the DHS will be implementing President Trump’s executive orders related to border...
View ArticleH1B “Master’s Cap” Pitfalls: Cautionary Reminder
With the arrival of fiscal year 2018 (FY18) H1B cap season, foreign nationals and employers should be aware of some important nuances of the H1B advanced-degree exemption, often referred to as the...
View ArticleCertain Nonimmigrant Victims of Spousal Abuse Can Now Apply for EADs
On February 14, 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published the long-awaited application for employment authorization for abused nonimmigrant spouses (form I-765V). The new...
View ArticleH1B Petitions for In-House Projects at Consulting Companies
Many U.S. employers that normally engage in providing tech consulting services seek to expand revenue streams by also developing their own proprietary software that can be marketed to clients. As part...
View ArticleMarch 2017 Visa Bulletin Check-In: Explanations and Predictions
Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division for the U.S. Department of State (DOS), provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions almost every month. The update this month...
View ArticleTrump Proposes Immigration Overhaul, Delays Issuance of New Travel Ban
Last night, in his first speech before a joint session of Congress, President Trump called on lawmakers to reform the U.S. immigration system. The President asserted that the “… current, outdated...
View ArticleDHS Continuing to Expand Social Media Scrutiny of Foreign Travelers
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is continuing to expand its scrutiny of the social media presence of foreign travelers and foreign nationals applying for U.S. immigration benefits. DHS...
View ArticleUSCIS Will Temporarily Suspend Premium Processing for All H1B Petitions
Starting April 3, 2017, the USCIS will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H1B petitions. This suspension may last up to six months. While H1B premium processing is suspended, petitioners...
View ArticleGrace Period for Nonimmigrant Workers Following Loss of Employment
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulation affecting highly skilled workers went into effect on January 17, 2017. One of the key components of the new regulation is the availability of a...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Trump to Sign New Travel Ban Executive Order Today
Update: This order has now been signed. The travel ban is set to go into effect March 16, 2017. Later today, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order that will implement a new travel ban....
View ArticleRequirement to Carry Immigration Documents
U.S. immigration law includes provisions intended to help authorities keep track of foreign nationals in the United States. By law, all non-U.S. citizens aged 18 or older are required to carry at all...
View ArticleUSCIS Issues Erroneous H1B1 Approval Notices
Due to a technical error, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued a number of H1B approvals that were incorrectly annotated with the H1B1 annotation. The USCIS is expected...
View ArticleApril 2017 Visa Bulletin: Very Little Movement
The April 2017 Visa Bulletin was released this afternoon. Once again, there is no movement in the dates for filing (DF) chart. In the final action (FA) chart, the employment-based, second preference...
View ArticleCap-Gap Extensions of F-1 Status and OPT
The current H1B cap-filing season for fiscal year (FY) 2018 raises questions about extensions of F-1 student status and optional practical training (OPT) before the beginning of H1B status....
View ArticleNew and Revised Receipt Notices for EAD Renewals
On January 17, 2017 a regulation went into effect that permits the automatic extension of certain categories of employment authorization documents (EADs) for up to 180 days based on timely filed EAD...
View ArticleState Department Provides Information Regarding New Executive Order
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has posted answers to a number of frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the Trump Administration’s new travel ban, which is scheduled to go into effect on...
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