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 [...]

USCIS Update June 15, 2023 As of June 13, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will now offer premium processing for individuals seeking to change their status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2 nonimmigrant status, as well as their dependents. There are instances where foreign nationals enter the U.S. as or in another temporary [...]

US International Entrepreneur Parole Program Guide Launched US International Entrepreneur Parole Program Guide Launched: Some exciting news for Entrepreneurs! As part of an ongoing slate of new agency guidance regarding various immigration programs and visas, USCIS has issued comprehensive guidance regarding the International Entrepreneur Parole Program (“IEPP”). The published guidance introduces criteria for entrepreneurs who (a) [...]

U.S. State Department to Launch Pilot Program for Domestic Visa Renewals Pilot Program for Domestic Visa Renewals: The U.S. State Department is planning to launch a pilot program that would allow H-1B specialty occupation workers and other temporary visa holders to renew their visas in the U.S. The State Department will start with H and [...]

New USCIS Policy Update for Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) Age Calculation New USCIS Policy Update for Child Status Protection Act: On February 14, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has updated its policy manual on the calculation of noncitizen's age under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) for immigration purposes. [...]