SUMMARY: USCIS opens registration for FY 2025 H-1B cap lottery from March 6 to March 22, 2024. The registration fee for FY 2025 remains $10, as the new fee increase to $215 takes effect after the registration period. A beneficiary-centric system replaces the group-of-registrations selection process to enhance program integrity and reduce fraud risks. The system now focuses on individual beneficiaries rather than registrations, aiming to prevent gaming of the registration process. Each beneficiary may only be registered under one passport or travel document, promoting fairness in the selection ..read more

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed a significant overhaul of its fee structure, marking the first major adjustment since 2016. This move is driven by the agency’s need to address operational and financial challenges. The revised fee schedule is set to take effect on April 1, 2024, making it essential for prospective applicants to be aware of these changes and plan accordingly. One of the most impacted sectors is family-based immigration applications, which will see substantial increases in fees. It is crucial for individuals considering such applications to submit ..read more

Obtaining a fiancé visa in the United States, formally known as the K-1 visa, is a process that allows an engaged partner of a U.S. citizen to enter the country for the purpose of getting married. Understanding and carefully following each step of this process is crucial for a smooth and successful visa application. Errors or omissions can result in a denial of the application. Obtaining legal guidance throughout the process can greatly benefit a citizen who wants to bring their future spouse into the U.S. Filing the petition and providing the required proof The first step for a fiancé visa in ..read more

The Texas federal-government clash over US-Mexico border control escalates as Governor Greg Abbott challenges the Biden administration and the Supreme Court, ordering additional razor wire installations to deter migration. Despite the recent 5-4 Supreme Court ruling allowing wire removal, Abbott, a hard-right Republican, persists in fencing parts of the border. While federal agents may remove the wire under federal jurisdiction, Abbott contends the Texas National Guard, answering to the state governor, can lay more wire. Abbott’s use of the invasion clause to enforce border security and immigr ..read more

On Sunday Jan 28th, House Republicans unveiled articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, citing a “breach of trust” and “systemic refusal to comply with the law.” The impeachment resolution precedes Tuesday’s Homeland Security Committee vote, where Republicans aim to advance the effort along party lines. If successful, the House could vote on impeachment in early February, marking a historic but likely futile move, as no Cabinet official has been impeached since 1876. The resolution is the outcome of a months-long investigation into Mayorkas, which gained ..read more

A prominent Latino legal and civil rights group, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), has been actively pursuing legal action against financial institutions for allegedly discriminatory practices towards eligible DACA recipients. Over the past seven years, MALDEF has filed ten lawsuits, with the two most recent ones filed last week. The lawsuits claim that financial institutions are denying loans and services to DACA recipients based on their immigration status, a practice that MALDEF argues is unfair and violates civil rights. DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhoo ..read more

The State Department has introduced an update to its discretionary interview waiver policy for nonimmigrant visa applicants. This new policy replaces the temporary measures implemented over the past three years and introduces a standing policy, subject to annual review. The move aims to bring more predictability for stakeholders, reducing uncertainty surrounding the interview waiver process, which has played a crucial role in expediting visa processing times. Typically, nonimmigrant visa applicants aged 14 to 79 are required to undergo in-person interviews at U.S. Embassies or consulates. Howe ..read more

New data reveals a staggering increase of over 1 million cases in the nation’s immigration court backlog in 2023, primarily due to a surge in migrants seeking asylum at the U.S. border. Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) reported that the backlog exceeded 3 million cases in November, up from 1.9 million in September 2022. According to TRAC, the current number of immigrants with pending immigration cases in the U.S. surpasses the population of Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city. Some individuals may not be scheduled for a court appearance for several y ..read more

The final approval stage has been reached for a revamp of H-1B fees that were announced by USCIS last year, following a comprehensive White House review. The proposed alterations introduce significant adjustments to fees linked with both temporary and permanent work visas. Particularly, the registration fees for H-1B specialty occupation visas are anticipated to climb to $215, constituting a 40% increase for applicants across diverse categories. The primary impact of these fee adjustments is expected to fall on petitioners seeking employment-based visas. The original proposal, unveiled in Janu ..read more

One way to get a visa and come to the United States is to seek employment. When you find an employer that would like to hire you, they can sponsor you for an employment visa. If this visa is granted, one of the stipulations is that you need to come to the United States and take the position that you’ve been offered. This is a way for employers to easily get talent from around the globe. For you, however, it creates an interesting problem. What if you get fired? This doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong or made any mistakes. Maybe the company just had to downsize and they decided to let you ..read more