On Dec. 23, 2022, the U.S. Department of State announced an extension of interview waivers for certain nonimmigrant visas, and their qualifying derivatives, through Dec. 31, 2023. Consular officers are authorized to waive interviews for the following visa categories: H-2, F, M, J, H-1B, H-3, H-4, L, O, P, and Q visas. Temporary workers who […]
Read more...28 December 2022
Ethiopia has been designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months beginning on December 12, 2022 and extending until June 12, 2024. Only Ethiopians already residing in the United States as of October 20, 2022, who can also demonstrate continuous physical presence since December 12, 2022, will be eligible to register. Eligible applicants will […]
Read more...22 December 2022
On Dec. 23, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility final rule will go into effect. This final rule, which was previously announced, provides clarity and consistency for noncitizens on how DHS will administer the public charge ground of inadmissibility. This final rule restores the historical understanding of a “public […]
Read more...19 December 2022
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today published a notice in the Federal Register announcing that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plans to conduct a trial for updates to the current naturalization test. The naturalization test has four components: reading, writing, civics, and the ability to speak English. The reading and writing portions […]
Read more...14 December 2022
WASHINGTON— The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) are issuing a temporary final rule that makes available 64,716 additional H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for fiscal year (FY) 2023. These supplemental H-2B visas are for U.S. employers seeking to petition for additional workers at certain periods of the fiscal year […]
Read more...13 December 2022
Effective Dec. 12, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating the USCIS Policy Manual to allow USCIS to automatically extend the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (commonly called Green Cards) for lawful permanent residents who have applied for naturalization. This update is expected to help naturalization applicants who experience longer processing times, because […]
Read more...11 December 2022
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security today posted a Federal Register notice on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia. This notice provides information about how to register for TPS under Ethiopia’s designation. In October, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the 18-month designation of Ethiopia for TPS. The registration process begins on Dec. 12, 2022. […]
Read more...9 December 2022
WASHINGTON – Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas today announced the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti for an additional 18 months, from February 4, 2023, through August 3, 2024, due to extraordinary and temporary conditions in Haiti. He also redesignated Haiti for TPS, allowing Haitian nationals residing in the United States as […]
Read more...5 December 2022
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it is extending and expanding previously announced filing fee exemptions and expedited application processing for certain Afghan nationals. These actions will help Afghan nationals resettle, and in many cases reunite with family, in the United States by enabling USCIS to process their requests for work authorization, long-term status, status for […]
Read more...22 November 2022
Congress has recently passed laws relating to certain Afghan and Ukrainian parolees that have included language providing that parolees covered by the legislation “…shall be eligible for resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits available to refugees admitted under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157)….” Under DHS regulations, refugees are […]
Read more...21 November 2022
