H-2 Non-Immigrant Visa Changes The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of State (DOS), has made several changes to the H-2 program that occurred on November 9th and November 17th. November 9th Changes A key change that occurred on Nov. 9, 2023, was the decision to add add Bolivia to the list [...]

Why Hasn’t My Case Been Decided Yet? Nationwide, you and millions of families, businesses, and individuals applying for immigration benefits are waiting longer for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process and approve applications and petitions. Based on previously available USCIS data, in Fiscal Year (FY)2017, an average case took about 6.4 months to [...]

U.S. Pathways to Residency The U.S. provides several pathways for permanent immigration. New permanent immigrants receive a “green card” and become lawful permanent residents (LPRs). Once they meet residency requirements, they are able to become naturalized U.S. citizens. Below are some examples of pathways to residency in the U.S. Admitting Relatives The U.S. reunites families and [...]

USCIS Updated Eligibility Criteria for Compelling Circumstances Employment Authorization Document On June 14, 2023, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released detailed guidance regarding the eligibility criteria for the Compelling Circumstances Employment Authorization Document (EAD) application. The new guidance delineates seven eligibility criteria applicants must meet to qualify for the Compelling Circumstances EAD, and provides specific [...]

  USCIS Launches Online Appointment Request Form Release Date : 08/21/2023 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched a new online form for individuals, attorneys, and accredited representatives to request an in-person appointment at their local field office without having to call the USCIS Contact Center. This online appointment request form allows individuals or [...]

KEEPING UP WITH YOUR IMMIGRATION COURT CASE If you have a case in immigration court, there is important information you should know. Hearing Dates: Hearing dates change frequently. You should receive a hearing notice by mail, but immigration courts often take a long time to send these notices. It is important to check your case [...]

What Employer-Sponsored Immigration Programs are available in the U.S? Employer sponsorship Sponsorship in the U.S. can be through family or through an employer. For this article, we will focus on the non-immigrant and immigrant options that employers may U.S. to sponsor eligible applicants. Non-Immigrant Visas There are several non-immigrant visa classifications that may be U.S. [...]

  Invitations to be Issued for Family Reunification Parole Process July 28, 2023 On July 31, 2023, The Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC) started issuing invitations under the family reunification parole (FRP) processes for Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. On July 7, 2023, DHS announced implementation of new FRP processes for Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and [...]

  USCIS Expands myProgress to Form I-765 and Form I-131 On July 12, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the expansion of myProgress (formerly known as personalized processing times) to Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and Form I-131, Application for Travel Document. This system was developed to assist applicants to track the progress of [...]