Online registration for H-1B petitions began with a bumpy start. The online registration portal opened on Sunday, March 1st at 12:00 PM Eastern. Thousands of immigration attorneys and employers logged on to the H-1B portal on Monday to find several glitches and potential filing issues. 

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In an abundance of caution, USCIS is closing its Seattle field office for 14 days to reduce the risk of exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19). One employee of USCIS Seattle has been experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 after visiting a nearby nursing home where an outbreak of the illness has been...

USCIS issued a policy alert on February 26, 2020 which updates and clarifies continuous presence requirements for green card holders filing for naturalization. The policy alert specifically refers to absences from the US that are longer than six months, but less than one year. 

Currently,...

USCIS has announced that the proposed new H-1B registration system will take effect on March 1, 2020. The new system will save employers time and money, as it will inform them if their petition has been accepted in the H-1B lottery before they file the full application.

The registration period...

A federal judge has issued another nationwide injunction on a policy proposal that would make it more difficult for certain individuals to overstay temporary J, M, and F visas. J, M, and F visas are three types of nonimmigrant (temporary) visas that are issued to foreign students and cultural...

As one of the most highly-revered positions in the judicial system, judges dedicate their lives to upholding the foundational principles of the United States Constitution. Recently, however, many immigration judges have found themselves facing a dilemma. They must balance their duty to embody...

At the end of 2019, USCIS announced plans to drastically increase filing fees for all applications. The plan, originally announced on November 14, 2019, has been on hold while the necessary comment and approval procedures take place. In December, the proposal was adjusted and the comment period...

We’ve been following developments in the Trump administration’s proposed “public charge” rule since August 2019. The policy, which would dramatically impact low-income immigrants and their families, has been continuously challenged in court and implementation has been...

The Department of State has issued a new policy alert asserting that pregnant women who seek to enter the US on a B1/B2 visa (for visiting friends or family or for medical treatment) will face additional scrutiny. The proposed policy aims to reduce what is known as “birth tourism” in...

A San Diego federal judge ruled last week that asylum-seekers who have expressed fear about being returned to Mexico must have access to an attorney before and during their non-refoulement interviews, where it is determined whether they will be forcibly returned to a country where they could...

USCIS has issued a new policy alert regarding best practice for completing the I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status. The alert states that USCIS will begin rejecting forms that contain blank fields, unless the field specifically states that the question is optional. This is a new example of...