IMMIGRATION NEWS
Immigration News
New STEM Fields for International Students
New STEM Fields for International Students ICE has recently added more options in STEM Fields to the Field of Study Designated Degree Program List. This extends the list from when the Department of Homeland Security last added 22 new fields to the program on January...
ICE Update on I-9 COVID-19 Temporary Flexibilities
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced that COVID-19 temporary flexibilities for Form I-9 will end July 31, 2023. Employers must complete in-person document inspections for employees whose documents were inspected remotely during the flexibilities by...
Expansion of Premium Processing: F, M, and J Applicants
USCIS announced on 6/12/2023 the expansion of Premium Processing for applicants filing Form I-539 and seeking a change to status to F, M or J non-immigrant status. Online filing for Premium Processing will also be available for these applicants. Premium Processing for...
USCIS Extends Temporary Waiver of “60-Day Rule” for Form I-693
USCIS issued an extension, from September 30, 2022, to March 31, 2023, of the temporary waiver of the “60-day rule” requiring that the civil surgeon’s signature on an otherwise valid Form I-693 be dated no more than 60 days before the applicant files the application...
Changes Affecting Employment Authorization for L-2, E, and H-4 Dependent Spouses
USCIS has announced that L-2 and E dependent spouses are no longer required to apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to work in the United States. Instead, L-2 and E dependent spouses are authorized to work in the United States simply by virtue of...
Work Authorization Update for Dependent Spouses: E-2 and L-2 Visas
On 11/12/2021, USCIS issued a memo stating that E and L dependent spouses will now be employment authorized incident to their status. This change means that E and L dependent spouses are no longer required to request an employment authorization document (EAD) to...
USCIS Eliminates Onerous Form I-944
In August 2019, the Trump Administration finalized a draconian version of what is known as the “public charge” rule, requiring “self-sufficiency” and making it much harder for low-income immigrants to obtain permanent residence. Moreover, the rule change created...
COVID Economic Recovery Travel Bans Extended
The travel restrictions put in place under Presidential Proclamations 10014 and 10052 in April and June of last year have now been extended through March 31, 2021. The proclamations limit the issuance of both immigrant and non-immigrant visas, including H-1B and L-1...
What to Expect from President-Elect Biden in the First 100 Days
The Trump administration has taken over 400 executive and regulatory actions on immigration since coming into office. While Biden has promised to reverse some of these by executive order, unraveling many others will take much longer. For example, we can expect...
President Trump Issues Another Executive Order Concerning Immigration
The President has issued another Executive Order concerning immigration due to the “economic contraction resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.” The order limits the issuance of new visas in the non-immigrant categories H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and J-1 through December 31,...
