There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact employment-based adjustment of status (AOS) applicants for legal permanent residence. For example, consular closures and limited immigrant visa processing operations during the pandemic have contributed to almost doubling the available number of employment-based immigrant visas for allocation in FY 2022. These increased immigrant visa …
Dreamers Can Rest Easy: USCIS Announces New Online Filing Option for DACA Renewals
To transition further away from paper-based operations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration and Services (USCIS) announced Tuesday, April 12, that those who previously received deferred action (i.e., protection from deportation) under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) may now file their DACA renewal forms online (see USCIS News Release here). This announcement is welcome news for …
Department of State Extends NIE Validity Providing Relief for Travelers
To reduce the backlogs of National Interest Exception (NIE) applications required by the Presidential Proclamations (Proclamations) regarding travel from designated countries to the U.S. due to the pandemic, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced on July 6, 2021, that it will extend the validity period of NIEs from 30 days to 12 months from …
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USCIS Reverses Course on Trump-Era Policy Instructing Officers Not to Give Deference to Previously Approved Petitions
In response to President Biden’s executive order, “Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans,” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new policy on April 27, 2021, effective immediately, directing officers to “generally defer to prior determinations of eligibility when adjudicating petition extensions involving the …
DHS Restricts DACA Scope and Benefits While Reconsidering Program Post Scotus Decision
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued its much anticipated Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy memorandum titled, “Reconsideration of the June 15, 2012 Memorandum Entitled ‘Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children,” on July 28 (July DACA Memorandum), which once again resumes DHS’s …
Top Five Useful FAQs provided by the U.S. Department of Labor in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The current public health crisis surrounding COVID-19 has led to a number of uncertainties for foreign nationals and their employers and compliance challenges. To address some of these concerns, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) released three rounds of frequently asked questions (FAQs) responding to questions about COVID-19 and …