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Practical Questions and Answers Regarding Submission of DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Applications
November 14th, 2019
The State Department’s Visa Office recently provided guidance and practical advice on the submission and processing of DS-160 nonimmigrant visa applications based on some frequently asked questions: Q: If an applicant completes a Form DS-160 for on…
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DHS Proposes to Change Fee Schedule and to Introduce New Forms
November 11th, 2019
DHS promulgated a proposed rule that would make changes to the USCIS fee schedule by a “weighted average increase of 21 percent,” or about an 18 percent overall fee hike. The rule would also add new fees, change forms, and introduce several new f…
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It’s Official: H-1B Registration Required for Cap-Subject Petitions; Registration Dates: March 1-20, 2020
November 6th, 2019
USCIS announced that it is implementing the registration process for employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced-degree exemption, for FY2021. Such employers must first electronically register and p…
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Border Tent Courts
October 23rd, 2019
DHS has erected tent structures in Laredo and Brownsville, Texas, where individuals subjected to the Migrant Protection Protocols, commonly known as the Remain in Mexico Program, will have their cases heard via video teleconference by an immigration…
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It’s Not Just Your Case – USCIS Has Increased Bureaucracy for U.S. Companies Petitioning for Needed Foreign Personnel
October 21st, 2019
Not only has USCIS increased the red tape and bureaucracy for U.S. companies sponsoring foreign workers, but USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli boasts about it! It’s the latest example of administration officials lauding efforts to make it more d…
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USCIS Changes “Foreign National” to “Alien” in Policy Manual
October 20th, 2019
The INA (Immigration and Nationality Act) which was signed into law in 1952, defines “any person not a citizen or national of the United States” as an “alien.” That term, however, is widely viewed as offensive and over the course of the last…
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On-Site Inspections for F-1 STEM OPT Employment
October 19th, 2019
There have been recent reports that ICE has started to conduct on-site inspections for STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment. According to DHS’s Study in the States website, an on-site visit will address how the salary of STEM OPT emplo…
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Visa Bulletin: EB-1 Preference Categories Still Backlogged; DOS Provides Explanation and Projections
October 17th, 2019
Those foreign nationals who have approved employment-based first preference (EB-1) petitions are wondering, why is the category still backlogged when historically the category “re-sets” and becomes current on October 1 with the start of the new U…
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DOS's Interim Final Rule on Public Charge Inadmissibility
October 12th, 2019
On October 11, 2019, DOS issued an interim final rule amending DOS regulations regarding how consular officers will determine whether a nonresident is ineligible for a visa because he or she is likely to become a public charge. Although the DHS final…
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Courts Enjoin DHS Public Charge Rule
October 11th, 2019
The U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York enjoined and restrained DHS and USCIS from “enforcing, applying, or treating as effective” the DHS Public Charge Final Rule. The rule was slated to go into effect on October 15, 2019. I…
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