U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 19,000 H-2B visas made available for returning workers for the early second half of fiscal year (FY) 2024 with start dates from April 1 to May 14, 2024, under the H-2B supplemental cap temporary final rule (FY 2024 TFR). April 17, 2024, was the final receipt date for petitions requesting supplemental H-2B visas under the FY 2024 early second half returning worker allocation. We are still accepting petitions for H-2B nonimmigrant workers for the additional 20,000 visas allotted fo ..read more

The Department of Homeland Security announced the extension and redesignation of Ethiopia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months from June 13, 2024, through Dec. 12, 2025, with a notice in the Federal Register.   The extension of TPS for Ethiopia allows current beneficiaries to re-register to retain TPS through Dec. 12, 2025, if they otherwise continue to meet the eligibility requirements for TPS. Existing TPS beneficiaries who wish to extend their status through Dec. 12, 2025, must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period.    The redesignation of Ethiopi ..read more

Starting April 23, we will generally use Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), also known as the Yellow Book, when we audit EB-5 regional centers.  By statute, we must audit each designated regional center at least once every five years. See section 203(b)(5)(E)(vii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).   Regional center audits enhance the integrity of the EB-5 program by helping us verify information in regional center applications and annual certifications as well as associated investor petitions.   At any point during a site ..read more

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has taken a significant step in streamlining the immigration process, announcing a pivotal change regarding the Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record. Effective from November 1, 2023, any Form I-693 that has been properly completed and signed by a civil surgeon will no longer have an expiration date and can be used indefinitely. This change represents a substantial shift in how health-related admissibility is assessed, offering a more streamlined and efficient process for immigrants. Understanding the ..read more

We have released a new fact sheet showing significant progress on reducing processing times across a range of different forms. What You Need to KnowThe fact sheet includes newly published data showing that, for nearly all our highest-volume forms, median processing times are significantly lower in fiscal year 2024 to date than in the previous fiscal year. Notable median processing times include: Less than 30 days for employment authorization documents from asylum applicants and from certain parolees; 5.2 months for naturalization, which is the lowest since 2016; 3.6 months ..read more

WASHINGTON— Building on extensive modernization efforts that have streamlined and improved access to work permits for eligible noncitizens, USCIS today announced a temporary final rule (TFR) to increase the automatic extension period for certain employment authorization documents (EADs) from up to 180 days to up to 540 days. This announcement follows improvements that have reduced processing times for EADs significantly over the past year. The temporary measure announced today will prevent already work-authorized noncitizens from having their employment authorization ..read more

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is announcing a temporary final rule (TFR) that amends existing Department of Homeland Security regulations to provide that the automatic extension period applicable to expiring Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for certain EAD renewal applicants who have timely and properly filed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, will be increased from up to 180 days to up to 540 days from the expiration date stated on their EADs. This announcement follows improvements that have reduced processing times for EADs signific ..read more

We have revised Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, to provide a third gender option, “X,” defined as “Another Gender Identity.” We are also updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual accordingly to account for this form revision and other forthcoming form revisions that will add a third gender option; see the Policy Alert. The 04/01/24 edition of Form N-400 will be the first USCIS form to include the X gender option. Applicants filing this edition of Form N-400 on or after April 1, 2024, will have X immediately available as a gender option on their form. Applicants wh ..read more

What is a National Interest Waiver (NIW)? There are several legal options for foreign nationals looking to immigrate to the United States for purposes of employment and business. Usually, the process of getting an employment green card can be a long and difficult ordeal. In the majority of such immigration cases, a U.S. company must provide evidence that they tried to hire a US worker for their job opening but failed to do so. In this failure to find a US worker, The US company may be allowed to employ a worker from another country. However, there are certain means by which a foreign alien may ..read more

If you are applying for a green card in the United States, the Visa Bulletin is a tool you should be familiar with. Issued monthly by the U.S. Department of State, it is a vital guide in the complicated green card process. Unpacking the Visa Bulletin The Visa Bulletin provides data on the number of available immigrant visas (green cards) across various family and employment-based categories. It features charts detailing the cutoff dates for each category, dictating eligibility for green card application in any given month, based on the applicant’s birth country. Immediate family members of U.S ..read more