White House and DHS Announce Elimination of COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Nonimmigrants Traveling to the United States
The White House announced yesterday that, starting “at the end of the day” on May 11, 2023, nonimmigrants traveling to the United States by air will no longer have to provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This requirement was introduced in 2021....
FY 2024 H-1B Cap Registration Statistics Released: Significant Increase in Filings Spark Concerns Over Possible Fraud
Today, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released its statistics for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 H-1B Cap Registration Filing Process which occurred in March through two lotteries. During this year’s initial lottery rounds, USCIS selected a...
New ETA Form 9089 Required for PERM Labor Certification Application Filings After May 15, 2023
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) recently announced a new Form 9089 will be required for PERM labor certification applications filed on or after May 16, 2023. The new 9089 will be filed through the DOL’s Foreign...
USCIS Extends Suspension of Biometrics Requirement for H, L, and E Dependent I-539 Applications; Eventual Permanent Suspension Expected
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the temporary suspension of the biometrics requirement for Form I-539 applicants seeking an extension or change of status in the H-4, L-2 and E dependent categories will be extended...
The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification to Reverse Denials of PERM Applications Based on Question H.10-B
The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) recently announced its intention to reverse its denials of PERM labor certification applications that were issued based on allegedly incomplete answers to Question H.10-B on Form ETA-9089. This...
May 2023 Visa Bulletin Shows Retrogression in EB-2 Rest of the World Category and New Backlog for EB-3 Rest of World Category
The U.S. Department of State has released its 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. In order...
U.S. Visa Waiver Program Extension to Israeli Citizens Coming Soon
Israel is closer to the implementation of a law that would setup a national center for the collection and analysis of data on flights and passengers entering and exiting Israel – allowing the U.S. to take a major step towards allowing Israeli nationals to travel the...
H-1B Cap Registration Retrospective: What Happened, Why It Happened, and What You Can Do About It
As we reported in our Alert of March 27, 2023, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has completed its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 H-1B cap registration process. USCIS completed the two lotteries mandated under this process (one for the 65,000 regular...
Express Entry Update: Recent Draw and Lowest Cut-off Score This Year
Express Entry, the immigration system in Canada used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to manage Canada Permanent Resident (PR) applicants, recently held the latest draw on March 29, 2023. This Express Entry draw included all programs, including...
USCIS Eliminates 60-Day Surgeon Signature Requirement for Form I-693 Medical Exam
Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the immediate and permanent elimination of the requirement that civil surgeons sign Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than 60 days before a foreign...