WASHINGTON —U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it is clarifying policy guidance on the specific work activities its officers should consider when determining whether an individual qualifies for TN nonimmigrant status as an economist.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) TN nonimmigrant status allows qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to temporarily enter the U.S. to engage in specific professional activities, including the occupation of

Clients have encountered visa processing delays at consular posts around the world, which are being caused by technical glitches in the visa processing system. The AILA DOS Liaison Committee raised this issue with the Department of State Visa Office, and the Visa Office confirmed that the Bureau of Consular Affairs is in the process of resolving these technical problems with the visa processing systems. They noted that some progress has already been made, but processing has not been fully

On December 4, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court issued two orders staying the preliminary injunctions issued against President Trump’s September 24, 2017 Presidential Proclamation by the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii in the case Hawaii v. Trump and by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in the case IRAP v. Trump, pending the disposition of the administration’s appeals of these District Court rulings to the U.S. Court of the Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Fourth

As the Trump administration looks to curtail the ability of foreigners to live and work in the United States, many of the changes are happening through executive orders and policy memos, not legislation.

The latest shift affects holders of the H-1B visa favored by tech companies, as well as other work visas, who are seeking to extend their stays.

Under a new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services policy issued Monday, foreigners applying for a visa extension will no longer be given

Elections have consequences. But when it comes to federal agencies, the Administrative Procedure Act shapes the contours of those consequences. This case involves the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to delay the implementation of an Obama-era immigration rule, the International Entrepreneur Rule, 82 Fed. Reg. 5,238 (Jan. 17, 2017). The Rule would have allowed certain foreign entrepreneurs to obtain immigration “parole” — that is, to temporarily enter the United States despite lacking

USCIS issued a policy memo with guidance on the implementation of the AAO adopted decision in Matter of V-S-G- Inc. USCIS will now inform the beneficiary of petitions in certain circumstances including when a notice of intent to revoke is issued. Guidance is effective immediately, and supersedes any existing guidance on this issue.

On November 11, 2017, USCIS adopted as a matter of policy the AAO’s decision in Matter of V-S-G- Inc., which held that beneficiaries who have properly ported

AILA’s DOS Liaison Committee is seeking examples of clients that been asked to complete Form DS-5535, Supplemental Questions for Visa Applicants. AILA is gathering data to evaluate which visa applicants have been determined to warrant additional scrutiny in connection with terrorism or other national security-related visa ineligibilities.

The Department proposes requesting the following information, if not already included in an application, from a subset of visa applicants worldwide, in

Where does the Attorney sit?

Adjudicators USCIS Field Manual: https://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/AFM/HTML/AFM/0-0-0-1.html

15.2 Interview Environment.

(a) Adjudications Environment

It is essential that the person being interviewed appreciate the importance and seriousness of the proceedings. To ensure this, the setting in which the interview takes place must be orderly and official in appearance. Desktops should be uncluttered and files should be housed in cabinets. Flags, USCIS and

Is it permissible to enroll in school while in B-1/B-2 status?
No, it is not. The regulations, at 8 CFR 214.2(b)(7), specifically prohibit a course of study in the United States while in B-1 or B-2 status.
Before enrolling in a course of study, individuals who are in B-1 or B-2 status must first acquire F-1 (academic student) or M-1 (vocational student) status. Enrolling in a course of study while in B-1/B-2 status will result in a status violation. Individuals in B-1 or B-2 status, who

On July 11, 2017, the Trump Administration announced that it would delay implementation of the "International Entrepreneur Rule," a final rule that was set to go into effect on July 17, 2017. The International Entrepreneur Rule would have provided temporary parole status to entrepreneurs who could demonstrate that their parole would provide a significant public benefit in the form of economic growth and the creation of U.S. jobs.

AILA is seeking examples of individuals who have taken steps to

Beginning October 2, 2017, all I-140-based adjustment of status applicants will be required to appear for an in-person interview at a USCIS Field Office. On September 28, 2017, the Office of the CIS Ombudsman held a stakeholder call featuring Daniel Renaud, Associate Director of the USCIS Field Operations Directorate, who explained the purpose of the new requirement and provided information that will be of assistance in preparing clients for interviews.

Who will be interviewed?

All

On April 23, 2004, USCIS issued a memorandum titled “The Significance of a Prior CIS Approval of a Nonimmigrant Petition in the Context of a Subsequent Determination Regarding Eligibility for Extension of Petition Validity.” This memorandum directed adjudicators, when adjudicating petition extensions involving the same parties and underlying facts as the initial petition, to defer to prior determinations of eligibility, except in certain, limited circumstances.

On August 17, 2015, USCIS issued

WASHINGTON—Two days after a terrorist attack in New York killed eight people and injured at least twelve others, President Trump called on Congress to immediately end the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery program after meeting with Republican senators to discuss U.S. immigration policy. The recent attack, and the revelation that the attacker entered the U.S. under the DV program, has led to emotional public discourse over the wisdom and need of such a program. Many seem to think that the DV program

WASHINGTON — Bajo ciertas guías de políticas actualizadas, el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés) está instruyendo a sus oficiales para implementar el mismo nivel de escrutinio tanto a las peticiones iniciales como a peticiones de extensión para ciertas categorías de visas de no inmigrante . Las reglas aplican a casi todas las clasificaciones de no inmigrante presentadas por medio del Formulario I-129, Petición de Trabajador No

WASHINGTON — Under updated policy guidance, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is instructing its officers to apply the same level of scrutiny to both initial petitions and extension requests for certain nonimmigrant visa categories. The guidance applies to nearly all nonimmigrant classifications filed using Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker.

“USCIS officers are at the front lines of the administration’s efforts to enhance the integrity of the immigration system,”

The Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has changed the sponsorship confirmation process after the filing of a PERM application. Where the previous process provided the employer with only seven days to respond to the sponsorship questionnaire, the new PERM sponsorship confirmation process provides the employer with 30 days to respond. The process is currently in place and is as follows:

1. After filing the PERM application, the employer will receive an e-mail

El Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés) reanudó hoy el procesamiento prioritario para todas las peticiones de extensiones de estadía de visas H-1B. El procesamiento prioritario está disponible ahora para todos los tipos de peticiones de H-1B.

Las visas H-1B proporcionan trabajadores diestros para una variedad de trabajos especializados, entre los que se incluyen informática, ingeniería, y matemáticas. Cuando un peticionario solicita el servicio de

WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resumed premium processing today for all H-1B visa extension of stay petitions. Premium processing is now available for all types of H-1B petitions.

H-1B visas provide skilled workers for a wide range of specialty occupations, including information technology, engineering, and mathematics. When a petitioner requests the agency’s premium processing service, USCIS guarantees a 15-calendar day processing time. If that time is not met

WASHINGTON – Based on a new information-sharing partnership between U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA), foreign nationals in certain categories or classifications can now apply for work authorization and a social security number using a single form – the updated Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.

To lawfully work in the United States, foreign workers in some categories and classifications need both an employment

Bajo una nueva colaboración de intercambio de información entre el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Administración del Seguro Social (SSA, por sus siglas en inglés), los trabajadores extranjeros que están en ciertas categorías o clasificaciones, ahora pueden solicitar simultáneamente un permiso de trabajo y un número de Seguro Social mediante el Formulario I-765, Solicitud de Autorización de Empleo.

Para trabajar legalmente en Estados Unidos, los