In prior blog posts we have drawn attention to U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) making unannounced site visits to workplaces where H-1B or L-1 workers are employed and other measures the agency uses to detect H-1B fraud. Officers make such visits to...
On December 21, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) announced an updated visa interview waiver policy, which took effect on January 1, 2024. The policy both expands and limits the policy that was in place for 2023 and is in place until further notice. ...
Pursuant to a recent settlement agreement, USCIS has agreed to resume its earlier practice of adjudicating I-539 status extensions and I-765 work permit applications at the same time that the principal’s I-129 is adjudicated - a.k.a. “bundling.” In recent years,...
July 18, 2022 update:The M-274 Handbook for Employers was updated with guidance on how to verify work authorization for E-2 and L-2 spouses.May 18, 2022 update: Effective May 4, 2022, the automatic extension period is now 540 days for eligible spouses, not to exceed...
11/12/2021 Update: On November 12, 2021, USCIS released a confirming policy memo and corresponding policy manual changes that, in addition to the H-4 and L-2 changes discussed below, also includes automatic extensions of work authorization for E spouses (including...
This is a brief update on L-1 “intracompany transferee” visa processes for Canadian citizens, because those processes began changing in April 2018. As background, the L-1 intracompany transferee visa, in most cases, requires that the employer first file and obtain USCIS approval of an L-1 petition, and that the prospective L-1 employee (the beneficiary) then apply in person to a U.S. Consulate in their home country for a physical L-1 visa. Canadian citizens are usually “visa-exempt,” meaning they are not required to get a physical visa from a U.S. Consulate. Moreover, for L-1 visas, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) allows for eligible Canadian citizens to submit their U.S. employer’s L-1 petition directly at a “Class A” port of entry (POE) for on-the-spot adjudication by U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) at the same time the individual is asking CBP for admission to the U.S.
News Release from Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has reported that U.S. Consular Posts in India are experiencing extraordinary wait times for nonimmigrant visa interview appointments. The wait times for all categories...
To make emergency supplemental appropriations for border security, Public Law 111-230 was passed by Congress and it was signed into law by President Obama on August 13, 2010. One provision of the new law, effective immediately, adds large supplemental filing fees to certain H-1B and L-1 petition filings. USCIS clarified in a recent announcement that it will require the supplemental fee for petitions postmarked on or after August 14, 2010. The supplemental fees will remain in effect through September 30, 2014.
News Release from Jewell & Associates, PC – August 13, 2010 On 8/13/2010, President Obama signed into law H.R. 6080, an act making emergency supplemental appropriations for border security. One provision of the act raises the filing fee and Anti-Fraud fee for H...
