U.S. Increases H-2B Visas Available to Non-Agricultural Employers
On May 21, 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Labor (DOL) announced a joint temporary final rule that will make 22,000 additional H-2B visas available during fiscal year (FY) 2021. ...
U.S. Department of Labor Finalizes 18-Month Delay of Rule Increasing Prevailing Wage Levels
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a notice in the Federal Register on May 13, 2021, confirming an 18-month delay of the effective date of the Final Rule on computation of prevailing wage levels that was...
DHS Continues International Entrepreneur Parole Program
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) engaged in notice-and-comment rulemaking to develop regulations for an International Entrepreneur (IE) program. The goal was to provide an avenue for start-up founders to work...
USCIS Allows Telephonic Rescheduling of Biometric Services Appointments
On May 11, 2021, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that applicants, petitioners, and beneficiaries may call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) to request rescheduling of an...
DHS Withdraws Proposal to Expand Biometrics Requirements
In September 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the collection and use of biometrics by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Customs and Border...
USCIS to Suspend Biometrics Requirement for Certain Nonimmigrant Applications
In 2019, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented a new nationwide requirement that all individuals submitting a Form I-539, Application to Change or Extend Nonimmigrant Status, must provide biometric...
State Department Assigns Priority Tiers for Immigrant Visas
The U.S. Department of State is working to reduce the backlog of immigrant visa applications that accrued over the past year due to travel restrictions and resource limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Operational...
Services Sharply Limited at U.S. Embassy in Russia
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia has reduced its consular workforce by 75% due to a recent Russian decree that bans embassies of “unfriendly nations” from hiring foreign nationals. As a result, the embassy must...
List Countries Subject to Increased Quarantine Period Announced
On 29 April 2021, the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) clarified that travelers from 40 countries will now have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine period to curb the spread of three new Covid-19 variants. This announcement came on the heels of an earlier...
DOL Expects PERM Backlog and Long Processing Times to Remain Throughout 2021
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) administers the PERM program, which is the first step of a three-part process for certain foreign nationals to obtain an employment-based green card. Before a U.S. employer can petition to sponsor an immigrant...