United Kingdom: Enhanced Flexibility Announced for Business Visitors
The UK has expanded the activities that individuals can perform as business visitors. Some examples include: Intra-corporate activities: Employees are now allowed to come to the UK to advise, consult, troubleshoot, provide training, or share skills and knowledge, as...
H-1B Cap Registration Period Extended to Monday, March 25
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has just announced an extension of the H-1B Cap registration period for the fiscal year 2025 H-1B cap. This period opened at noon Eastern Time on March 6, 2024, and would have expired at noon Eastern Time on Friday,...
April 2024 Visa Bulletin Issued: Final Action EB Cut-Off Dates to be Used This Month; Minor Forward Movement in Almost All Categories Except China EB-3
The U.S. Department of State has released its April 2024 Visa Bulletin imposing per-country cut-off dates that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications and consular Immigrant Visa application filings and approvals....
Canada: Changes to the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for Mexican Nationals
Mexican citizens must now meet new criteria to qualify for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). To qualify for use of the eTA, the individuals must currently hold a valid U.S. nonimmigrant visa or have held a valid Canadian visa in the past 10 years. The new eTAs...
Initial FY 2025 H-1B Cap Registration Period Will Open on March 6, 2024, and Run Until March 22, 2024
As we reported in an earlier Blog, the registration period for the fiscal year 2025 H-1B cap selection process will open at noon Eastern time on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. The registration period will close at noon Eastern time on Friday, March 22, 2024. During this...
H-1B Petitions May No Longer be Filed with a USCIS Service Center and Must Use the New Version of Form I-129 Starting April 1, 2024
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced last Friday that, as of April 1, 2024, its four Service Centers in California, Texas, Nebraska, and Vermont will no longer accept Form I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker seeking H-1B Specialty...
March 2024 Visa Bulletin Issued: Final Action EB Cut-Off Dates to be Used This Month; Minor Forward Movement in Some Categories, but Retrogression from Last Month’s Dates for Filing
The U.S. Department of State has released its March 2024 Visa Bulletin imposing per-country cut-off dates that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications and consular Immigrant Visa application filings and approvals....
An Employer’s Guide to H-1B Cap Registration for FY2025
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced in a final rule published last Friday that the registration period for the 2025 fiscal year H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern time on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, and will close at noon Eastern time on...
USCIS Issues Final Rule Increasing the Filing Fees for Most Applications and Petitions
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency responsible for adjudicating and granting most requests for immigration benefits—including nonimmigrant petitions filed on Form I-129, immigrant petitions filed on Form I-140, Adjustment of Status...
United Kingdom: Massive Increases to the Immigration Health Surcharge Fee, Effective 6 February 2024
A long-awaited proposal to increase the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) in the UK has now been approved by both houses of Parliament and will go into effect starting on 6 February 2024. These changes will increase the IHS from £624 to £1,035 per person per year....