USCIS Announces Upcoming Expansion of Premium Processing Service for Certain I-140, I-765, and I-539 Filings
The USCIS announced today that it will expand its Premium Processing Service, which reduces the processing time of a petition for an immigration benefit upon the payment of an additional fee, beginning on January 30, 2023. On that date, the USCIS will begin to accept...
USCIS Proposes Fee Increases for Certain Employment-Based Petitions
The USCIS issued a Proposed Rule today that will significantly increase the filing fees for certain nonimmigrant and immigrant petitions paid by petitioners seeking to employ foreign national workers. The Proposed Rule is subject to a 60-day comment period that will...
U.S. Requires Negative COVID-19 Test for Travelers from China
The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) announced today that air passengers boarding flights to the United States originating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau will have to show a negative...
New Version of Form I-485 Effective Today
Starting today, December 23, 2022, any Adjustment of Status applications filed with the USCIS must use the new version of Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (12/23/22 edition). The new version of Form I-485 is available here....
Wage Transparency Laws Create New Obligations for PERM Process
Employers conducting recruitment in support of a PERM certification application should be mindful of certain recent local and state “wage transparency” laws that regulate the content of advertisements or postings placed in support of such recruitment. The purpose of...
Jan 2023 Visa Bulletin Imposes Cut-Offs for EB-1 China and India
The US Department of State has released its January 2023 Visa Bulletin, imposing per country cut-off dates that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of Adjustment of Status (AOS) application and consular Immigrant Visa application filings and approvals....
USCIS Grants Automatic Extensions of Expired Green Cards for Naturalization Applicants
Starting December 12, 2022, the USCIS will automatically provide a 24-month extension for those who hold an expired Permanent Resident Card (PRC), also colloquially known as a green card, and properly file an N-400 Naturalization application. This is a welcome...
Key Provisions Affecting Business Immigration in USCIS’ Fiscal Year 2022 Progress Report
The USCIS issued last week its Fiscal Year 2022 Progress Report, which summarizes the achievements of the agency over the past fiscal year, as well as the challenges it experienced. The report also lays out certain initiatives the agency plans to pursue in the 2023...
USCIS Increases Automatic Extension Period for Certain Expired EADs
Today the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a temporary rule that will amend regulations related to expiring Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). Specifically, USCIS is increasing the automatic extension period granted to certain EAD...
Italy Introduces Digital Nomad Visa for Remote Workers
On March 28, 2022, the Italian parliament voted a new visa and residence permit into the immigration regulations. The “digital nomad” visa is specifically aimed at enticing remote workers from outside the European Union to live in Italy. Full details of the visa...