by Kyle Knapp | May 9, 2022 | Uncategorized
USCIS continues its efforts to address the enormous backlogs that the pandemic aggravated. The latest announcement is a temporary rule to increase the automatic extension period for employment authorization documents (EADs) from 180 days to 540 days beyond the current...
by Kyle Knapp | Apr 11, 2022 | Uncategorized
In October 2020 Congress enacted legislation to allow USCIS to expand premium processing to several types of immigration benefit petitions and applications. USCIS finally published a proposed rule in March 2022 to offer the optional, expedited processing for...
by Kyle Knapp | Mar 15, 2022 | Uncategorized
If only USCIS could work as fast as a speeding train. Anyone who ever has submitted an application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services knows the frustrations of lengthy and inconsistent processing times. For the most common application, the I-765 Application...
by Kyle Knapp | Feb 14, 2022 | Uncategorized
In announcing its new mission statement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services resumed the tenor of its former one, which described the United States as a “nation of immigrants.” The new mission statement is: “USCIS upholds America’s promise as a nation of welcome...
by Kyle Knapp | Jan 17, 2022 | Uncategorized
USCIS once again this year will conduct the H-1B lottery in March to allocate the 85,000 visas for the next fiscal year, which runs October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023. Employers submit online entries in early March, and USCIS notifies “winners” in late March....
by Kyle Knapp | Dec 14, 2021 | Uncategorized
The pandemic continues to create challenges for international travel. When President Biden lifted the country-based travel restrictions on October 25, 2021, it appeared that the new vaccination requirement for travel to the United States would be the standard to allow...
by Kyle Knapp | Nov 12, 2021 | Uncategorized
On Wednesday, November 10, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security entered into a settlement agreement over a lawsuit concerning work authorization of H-4 and L-2 spouses. At first glance it sounds like a watershed moment. On closer examination, the settlement...
by Kyle Knapp | Oct 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
The annual Diversity Lottery (i.e. green card lottery) opens soon for the 55,000 visas. The registration period this year will run from noon Eastern Daylight Time on October 6, 2021 until noon Eastern Standard Time on November 9, 2021. Each year the U.S. State...
by Kyle Knapp | Sep 12, 2021 | Uncategorized
The U.S. State Department reports that there are approximately 500,000 immigrant visa applications currently awaiting interviews at U.S. consulates and embassies abroad. Immigrant visas, also called green cards, are for persons coming to the United States as permanent...
by Kyle Knapp | Aug 10, 2021 | Uncategorized
The National Interest Exception (NIE) travel authorization landscape continues to evolve. As a recap, soon after the Covid-19 pandemic began, the United States prohibited travel from certain countries. Unless exempt from the ban, persons who have been present in a...
